


The Hunt Is On

by Reabees



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Blood, Character Death, Childhood Friends, Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Fanfiction, Fluff, Friends to Enemies, Gore, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian, Multi, Polyamory, Tragedy, Trans Male Character, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:41:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 37
Words: 290,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27604355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reabees/pseuds/Reabees
Summary: Eyeless Jack, Jane The Killer, Clockwork X ReaderThrough thick and thin, early and awkward puberty. Hell, ever since you'd both been in diapers, the two of you were inseparable. Then one day you weren't. He had to move away. It was scary, a new place where he wasn't sure he or his brother would be accepted. You told him you'd stay in touch. Two weeks later, he killed his parents, trying to end his only sibling's life before disappearing. His brother decided to follow in his footsteps, murdering poor saps before dropping off the face of the planet. It'd been ten years since you'd seen them both. It fucked you up but you'd been doing well for yourself. Living as normal as you could, moving up in the world. Albeit slowly. Then, your life gets thrown off course by a vengeful lesbian, her manic and bloodthirsty gal-pal, and their huge, goth, eldritch buddy. They want something from you and they don't care if you want to join their cause or not. You're going to, like it or not.--These are Abby and I's own depictions of these characters. (Y/n) is depicted as having autism. Jane and Natalie are lesbians. Jeff and Jack are trans men. This will contain a lot of blood, guts, and horrible people being shitty.
Relationships: Eyeless Jack/Reader, Eyeless Jack/You, Jane Arkensaw | Jane the Killer/Reader, Jane Arkensaw | Jane the killer/Natalie Ouellette | Clockwork, Natalie Ouellette | Clockwork/Reader
Comments: 20
Kudos: 41





	1. Prologue - Late Nights, Strange People

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Ao3!  
> This fic is somewhat of a sequel to Spill Your Guts. Though the SYG gang won't be making any big cameos. THIO can be read as a stand alone fic but it exists in the same universe as SYG. It's going to be a long, dramatic, depressing, but hopefully, heartwarming ride filled with LGBT's being fucking bonkers. If you don't want to wait for updates, the fic is on Quotev, currently with 26 chapters published. Enjoy. https://www.quotev.com/story/12945584/The-Hunt-Is-On/1

**(Y/n) - Your name**

**(F/c) - Favorite color**

**(S/c) - Skin color**

**(E/c) - eye color**

**(H/l) - Hair length**

**(H/c) - Hair Color**

**Disclaimer: This fic contains blood, violence, graphic gore, death, etc. As well as mentions of mentions of physical/psychological/sexual abuse. These things will not be vividly described but they will be talked about quite heavily. Drug/Alcohol consumption will also be a running theme. Creepypasta designs are slightly to significantly altered in this fic. _Please_ don't be weird about (Y/n) being autistic. Autistic people literally get no representation in X Reader's. Please also don't be weird about Jack and Jeff being trans men. As well as Jane and Natalie being lesbians. I get this won't be for a lot of people but please just try and watch what you say in the comments. **

**\----**

_This would be the last night you'd sit together like this. Beneath the willow tree that you'd spent day after day under together. Sitting comfortably against it's trunk or laying on the soft grass below it's swaying branches. Hours passing as the two of you would talk about whatever two thirteen year old's talk about. Trauma and the latest Youtube sketch comedy video that was obnoxiously crude._

_It was cool out, occasionally a breeze would lazily blow through the green-ish yellow leafs. A mid August night, summer break coming to a close in a week. You weren't prepared to go into the eighth grade, being a middle schooler was tough shit. Being without him to skulk through the halls with, sit together at mostly empty lunch tables with, murmur judgments of your peers back and forth while eating dry sandwiches, it'd be different, hard, and shitty._

_No more sitting at the end of his nicely paved driveway, looking from under the comfortably familiar willow tree to the treeline that you'd braved past only a few times. No more physical support from one of the few people who tried to understand you. No more walking down the road to his house, traversing up the steep hill that was his front lawn, adorned with bushes and dormant flowers. No more nice store bought snacks. No more sitting next to him and his brother, playing the latest brain-melting video games. But that didn't mean you'd stop talking, stop being friends, it just meant there'd be a massive distance between you two. It'd be rough for awhile but you had the internet to keep in contact with him. Jeffery Woods._

_"I just don't fucking get it!" The tree softly shook with the impact of his pathetically small teenage fist upon it's bark, "Why do we have to move?!"_

_His voice had a sharp edge, hateful, bitter. He could feign confusion all he wanted but his parents explained the reason for the move multiple times. Clothes had already been forced into suitcases and furniture packed into rented moving vans. They sprung it on him last week, not giving a single fuck about what he had to say about it. The future had been set in stone._

_It was hard to know what to do when he got like this, angry, willing to lash out at whatever or whoever he saw fit. May it be puny bullies or rocks that he'd break his hand on from punching over and over. Sometimes even small woodland creatures, but you didn't like to think about that. Maybe if you tried to put it in a better light he'd feel a bit better, you weren't the best with your words, but you wanted to try to soothe him. Even if was the tiniest, most insignificant amount, "Well-"_

_"I know it's 'cuz my stupid fucking dad got some big fucking job at some big fucking company!" Jeff just wanted to word vomit out his frustrations, throwing another punch at the willow tree that had grown bigger with the two of you though the years. "Well," His patsy knuckles were growing irritated, layers of skin starting to peel, "I don't fucking care! Dad can suck a dick!"_

_They never cared much for them, Jeff and Liu. They threw store bought goods at them, buying them whatever they wanted, anything to get them to shut up and fuck off so they could do their, oh so important, work. Wealthy and white, living in the nicest house with the most in-season furniture, whatever the hell that meant. They were the type of parents to think that buying their kids shit counted as emotional labor, setting a good example, and raising them right. Using material objects and things Jeff needed as ammunition to fire whenever they acted up. Saying that they bought this and that for them, so they had no right to be upset._

_Sometimes Liu thought it was because they were trying to make up for what they did to them when they were younger. Jeff was always cynical though, never believing the explanation that made them seem like slightly less shitty people. They stopped the worst of it but the effects on their two sons were life long. You'd never heard the details from either of the boys, just bringing it up would make Liu's eyes glaze over and he'd start to shake, the older boy you looked up to weak and shivering just from the thought of his childhood._

_Their parents never actually apologized. They didn't care what their sons thought of them, as long as they were the well behaved trophy children they wanted them to be, they could do whatever the hell they wanted. The thing was, Jeff was never going to sit down with nice posture, he was never going to say please or thank you, he refused to be what his parents wanted him to be. So they just kept on pouring out their wallets in hopes he'd calm the fuck down._

_His parents just went harder on him, trying to use the fact that they 'allowed' him to get a Supprelin implant meant that they were good parents who didn't deserve to be called 'pencil pushing fucksticks'. They did deserve to be called that shit honestly. Jeff wanted the implant for the sole reason that he knew that if he went for monthly shots, his parents would confiscate them if he acted up. Holding things that he needed medically over his head like they always did, berating him whenever they weren't ignoring him._

_Another fist collided with the tree trunk, shakily pulling it away with a pained hiss, he reeled his arm back to hit the undeserving bark once more. You snatched his wrist, he was going to break his hand again at this rate. The idiot had weak bones and always seemed to forget that, not taking his vitamin D supplements and punching anything in his line of sight when upset. "Stop."_

_Jeff sometimes didn't know when to. Controlling himself was a problem of his, especially when he was angry. But he wasn't just pissed, he was sad. Looking to you with a quivering lip and eyes heavy with tears that had yet to spill. He always hated crying, thought it made him weak, so he held in his tears. Once in a blue moon though, he'd let them flow and from the way the tears were about to overflow passed his lower eyelids, tonight would be one of those rare occasions._

_Though you could see the gears turning in his head, sucking his lips into his mouth while he decided if he should cry or not. He decided quickly, the two of you didn't have much more time together. It was almost midnight and they'd be leaving for Connecticut at five in the morning. "I want to stay with you."_

_"I know." You grimly acknowledged, doing your best to maintain eye contact. Lowering his hand to his side, comforted by the fact that he ceased the senseless punching, you held your arms out. An awkward invitation for a hug, he looked like he needed one, "I don't want you to go either."_

_Jeff practically jumped on you, having you stumble a few steps back as he tightly wrapped his arms around your sides. Shoving his head onto your shoulder, body shuddering as he allowed himself to cry. You wrapped you arms around his torso, rocking back and forth on your heels as he whimpered and whined, fiddling with the ends of his brown hair, it'd grown darker as you both aged, the light brown growing deeper and darker with every passing year. He was babbling out sentiments of wanting to stay in New Jersey, wanting to live with you even though you both knew his parents wouldn't let it happen, proposing the idea that you come with him, that you keep staying by his side, keep growing up together._

_Neither of you wanted this to end, summers spent sitting on the floor of his room, staring at Playboy's he stole from under his parent's shared bed. Playing rainbow road in Mario Kart, listening to alternative rock from the speakers of his laptop, coming up with elaborate ways to help him cheat on the next math test. Phones would connect you but you wouldn't be by each others side near constantly. There'd be an odd sense of loss and loneliness even though you'd still be in one another's lives._

_You patted his back as he kept on going, not knowing what to say. Dread heavy in your gut, so much so that it was painful. Sniffling as he grieved into you, that same old ratty hoodie hanging loosely off his frame. You stole it out of your schools lost and found before summer break, a birthday present. It was over-sized and white, though there were splotches of unknown red stains on the thing, probably dollar store paint or pasta sauce. Middle schoolers aren't exactly known for their cleanliness after all._

_Affection and friends went hand in hand in your book. It was an act of comfort for the boy, turning your head and pressing your lips softly onto his forehead. Jeff instantly froze up, ceasing his hitched breaths, pulling back._

_"Oh sorry, did I do something wrong?" You asked, sometimes you did things that would be deemed as offensive or crass without meaning to. You were trying to learn socially, mimic how others go about these sorts of things. Though only being thirteen, you were still pretty garbage at 'acting normal'._

_"No." He instantly replied, wide eyed and pale face flushed, "I just," He shuffled out of the hug, sliding down the trunk of the tree looking shell-shocked, "Ya'know."_

_You plopped down beside him, sides brushing together and hands close. "I don't."_

_Jeff's lips formed into a tight line, bright blue eyes fixated on yours. "I-" He looked away, the break of eye contact came with a shift of his hand, now resting atop yours. He continued, unable to bring himself to look your way with pink cheeks, "I just really don't want to leave."_

_"Don't worry," An imaginary weight was lifted off your shoulders with the break of intense eye contact, something you were still forcing yourself to work on, "I'll text you whenever I can! I'll be tell you all the dumb stuff that June Byrck says at school." He was starting to shudder, things he'd miss out on, but you kept trying, "I'll call you everyday after school. I bet that Sarah Rodney's gonna dress like a," You thought for a moment, raking your thirteen year old mind for a biting insult, "I dunno, like how she always dresses on the first day." Way too many layers and color combos that went horribly together, she called Jeff ugly a couple times. So you made an immature effort to occasionally make fun of her for Jeff's sake, the boy always seemed to enjoy it._

_A hitching exhale was let out of his upturned nose, "That'd be cool." He mumbled, tears still slipping down his cheeks, crying about to pick back up._

_You stayed by his side until the sun started to peak over the trees across the road. Your eyes and heart heavy but you wanted to spend every little second you could with him before he left. Your head resting on his shoulder as you sleepily mumbled promises back and forth that when you both got cars and learned to drive that you'd visit each other all the time. Move in together in your twenties and go to the same college._

_It sounded like a good plan to the both of you. Hopeful, lovely, free of shitty parents, the bright future just a few years ahead._

**\----**

"I'm telling you Noah." You whisper-shouted passionately, "He's just _so_ overrated." You paused to put two cans of tomato sauce on a high shelf, grunting in effort. Overnight stocking wasn't the most exciting day job, more accurately night job, out there but it was alright money. Not having to talk to annoying customers, a simple routine heavy job. All you and your small handful of coworkers had to do was put goods on shelves in the right place almost every night. 

Noah Barkley was the man intently listening to you, close friend of yours for the past four years, roommate for two. A black coily faux hawk with dyed blonde tips. Dark skin that was scarily free of blemishes, the man's skin care routine was _rigorous._ He made it look effortless sometimes. A bit heavy set, though he tried not to get too down on himself for it. When he did have bad days, thinking he was ugly for being chubbier than average, you were there to comfort him and remind him that societal expectations were garbage. 

You met on the job on your first day, and you were almost instantly comforted by his presence. He had resting nice face and was always willing to help out when you messed up. Shelve stocking was relatively simple but you fucked up quite a few times at first, not integrating into the mostly quiet team of people so easily. 

Shifts were long as all hell but you had to pay tuition somehow. Keep yourself afloat, pay for your own food while staying on the couch of a friend. The relationship had grown strained and awkward ever since their significant other moved in, she didn't like you so they'd not so subtly hinted at you to move the fuck out. That's where Noah came in, ever the guardian angel. 

Making friends was something that was difficult for you as a kid, especially early high school after what happened. What _he_ did. You'd grown past it, being much better socially but there was still an odd sense of trepidation when it came to making close friends. Noah was a patient man, smiley, and understanding. Your friendship started off quickly despite your initial shyness, all it took was him saying that he liked the pins on your dull (f/c) bomber that you wore everywhere you went. All enamel with silver linings, slasher masks, cryptids of all kinds, and cute pride flags.

You then proceeded to talk his ear off about Bigfoot. A first impression that you were later a bit embarrassed about but he reassured you that it was fine, he liked listening to people go on about what they were passionate about. The guy was a real empath, not coming into work every two days to go to night school. A fellow twenty-tree year old college student, he was looking to be a nurse. The two of you attended the same university in New Brunswick, New Jersey. A college town filled to the brim with caffeine fueled students. 

People sometimes called New Jersey the armpit of the nation but you never understood that logic. The entire United States was a giant cesspool, a massive armpit. New Jersey was just a smaller piece of the armpit, but definitely not the worst state to live in. Florida was still around after all. 

After two years of a solid friendship, you were on the brink of getting kicked out. Noah was just so happening to be looking for a roommate to help out with rent, things fell into place after that. The two of you falling into a comfortable routine. Working late night shifts, coming home in the early hours of the morning and passing out till three in the afternoon. When you were still doing classes, you'd hurry to your afternoon lectures, coming home hours later. The two of you would eat TV dinners while watching hospital dramas. He pointed out tons of misconduct from the morally gray doctors, the two of you laughing at the more stupidly written lines, parroting them back and forth for days. Then you'd head to work, the both of you taking the subway for transit. It was nice.

You'd taken a year off college due to stress stacking up and needing to focus more on yourself for a bit. Finally graduating Rutgers University was as exhilarating a thought as it was terrifying. It meant being a full fledged adult in the public eye, years of the routine that was school coming to an end way too quick. The year off was like a cushion for you to 'find yourself', mostly just come to terms that your life was changing faster than you thought it was.

While your college career was on hold you had more time to look deeper into your interests. Getting recently into some new branches but still loving and respecting the roots. 

"He's cute though." Noah gave you a playful side eye while sliding the last of the tomato soup cans upon the high shelf. 

"Everyone thinks he's cute." You rolled your eyes, voice threatening to raise. You didn't like drawing attention to yourself too much, even though there weren't many people in the ShopRite to draw attention from. You walked a tightrope, wanting to jabber at whatever volume about your passions while also not bothering your fellow food stockers. They weren't bad or rude people in the slightest, just your average people who worked night shifts. Middle aged, hard working, tired. You'd feel an odd sense of guilt if you bothered them, anxieties telling you how shitty you were already for talking Noah's ear off. Yet he'd assured you multiple times that he liked hearing you chatter. He was less of a talker, more of a listener. Doing his best to be understanding of everybody though it was hard for him to get all your little intricacies at first, he was willing to live and learn.

"Look," You fakely sighed, comfortable enough around him to be more expressive, "I get that mothman has a statue with a nice ass but that doesn't mean that the _real thing_ has such a cute little bubble butt. Like," You took a moment to articulate your thoughts and feelings on the cryptid, "I respect that for a lot of people he's a good introduction to cryptids. Then from there you get into some fun horror stuff and _maybe_ you go crazy and start looking into old gods." You described yourself in an act of self awareness, "But! He's just way over hyped I think. He flies and walks around a bit and suddenly he's famous!" There was some speculation that he'd been connected to some horrible events but you didn't have the next couple hours cleared to get into that. "He's super cool don't get me wrong but," You began to neatly shove cans of peas onto lower shelves, "I think that people need to move onto something else. Another cool monster but one who has more information and history that isn't just blurry sightings at night. Like recently I fell down this rabbit hole of Norse mythology and there's this really cool god. Technically they didn't call him a god but from how he was treated and what his role was in the universe, he's basically a god and-"

"Hey." You froze your pea shelving and rambling, stiffly turning at the sudden appearance of two more of your coworkers. You think their names were Jason and Micheal, big guys, really quiet, menacing and having an overall weird vibe. Though they weren't malicious, "We can take over."

The one you believed to be Jason pointed a fat finger to the boxes at the two of your feet. Sometimes they did little acts of service like this, almost always when you were almost done with your shift. Giving you the option to leave twenty minutes early, clocking out for you and not telling your supervisor. You always theorized something suspicious was afoot but Noah took it in stride, telling you not to look a gift horse in the mouth, whatever that meant.

He did always try to be polite and say, "You sure? We don't mind finishing up on our own."

You fidgeted with the worn cuffs of your bomber while they talked back and forth. Hyping yourself up to talk to the intimidating men. Talking to others was something you could do, some people were just a lot harder for you to make yourself talk to. The men's vibe didn't help their case.

"We are." The shorter man affirmed shortly, "Get outta here. We'll finish up." It was more of an implied command over the friendly offer of a coworker. You just wanted to get away from them, their presence oppressive and overwhelming. You gave up on the idea of saying a thank you.

"Alright. Thanks." Noah mimicked the man's tone, quick and to the point. He was off put by them too, also wanting to get out of dodge. He turned, putting a hand on your shoulder as the men just fucking stared, stiffly nodding and kneeling to the boxes. 

Speed walking into the dark ShopRite parking lot, the two of you made sure you had all your possessions on your person as he told you his plans. "Yeah, I'm going to be heading to James's place for the night." Noah's boyfriend couldn't afford to pay rent with the two of you. Also it wasn't his house, it was his parents. You once asked about why Noah didn't just live with Jame's and his parents. You were informed that James's parents were hoarders, their house an almost unlivable hellscape. Noah only spent the occasional night over, trying to convince James's to get a job, move into the apartment with you both, just get away from his slobs for parents.

His house was a ten minute walk down the sidewalk, a pretty straightforward route. While you had to take the subway home, alone at four in the morning. At the crossroad that was the stairs leading into the underground, Noah asked, "Are you sure you're good going home alone?"

He knew you were capable of taking care of yourself, you had the keys to your shared living space in your jacket pocket, phone stuffed beside them. Noise canceling Bluetooth headphones hung around your neck, ready to play the same three albums on repeat. Just waiting to block out the obnoxious grating of metal wheels on old tracks. 

A hand idly rubbed the cool surface of an enamel pin, ironically mothman on a skateboard. "Yeah man, I'll be fine."

Though Noah wasn't one to baby you, he worried about all the strange happenings in the subways in the wee hours of the morning. Though neither of you experienced anything too scary, just the occasional rambling drunkard but nothing like the rumors you'd heard. The over embellished ones, common yet unrealistic fears of masked homicidal maniacs, government kidnappings, and armed robberies. Though there'd genuinely never been a death or a fatal attack in the subway, Noah was still a worry wart. He took care of others quite well, but once he got a 'what if' in his head, he thought about it nonstop. 

You'd do your best to comfort him, "I'll call you if anything happens. I'll see you in the morning dude." You had to keep the goodbye quick or else his worry would continue to fester and he'd call you every half-hour on the dot to ask if you were alright. It was sweet but it could get annoying. 

Noah sighed, a cool mid-August breeze bringing the scent of humid garbage with it. Lovely. He held up a hand in a curt wave, "Have a safe trip home, alright?" 

"Will do." You waved back, starting to descend into the concrete underground. 

"Bye (Y/n)!" He called down the stairs. 

There was practically no one bustling about, the few people you could see were sleeping on benches. You didn't want to disturb them but you replied just loud enough for Noah to hear, "Later man."

You bounded down the rest of the steps, making your way quickly passed the turnstile. The tunnel was quite empty, not surprising. It was roughly four in the morning, not many people were taking the subway right now. You were lucky that the subway ran twenty-four hours of the day even with the lower passenger rates. Buses were an option but they took so many stops that were out of the way of your destination, you'd have to ride the damn things for at least an hour before you got to your work. The subway may have been a lot grimier but you could get to work relatively quickly, not have to set aside a fat chunk of your time just to have to deal with an annoyingly long ride.

_Click, clack, click, clack._

The repetitive sound of heels on tile mildly piqued your interest but you didn't look towards it. Just another person coming home on a late night, their night probably much more luxurious than yours.

Though you wouldn't admit it, being alone in the subway tunnels so late at night, more accurately in the morning, made you nervous. Anyone would be, some crazy person could just approach you and there'd hardly be anyone around to help. But you always did your best to brush the unlikely scenario off your shoulder. But you always kept your headphones off your ears until you were safely in one of the metal cars. Anxiety always whispering in your ears that the grisly scenario would play out if you put the headphones on, some creep coming to whisk you away or bury a knife in your gut from behind while you weren't listening. 

_Click, clack, click, clack._

Standing obediently behind the yellow line in the tiles, you waited for those two piercing lights to cut through the dark tunnel that was the signifier of your ride home coming to pick you up.

_Click, clack, click, clack._

_"You."_ Low, muffled, almost alluring if it wasn't absolutely dripping with animosity. Was that aimed at you?

You whipped your head to the side and took in the sight of the woman. Your first thought was, _'wow, what the fuck?'_

She was far from what you'd describe as an average person. It wasn't often you'd seen someone wearing black gloves that went all the way up to their mid-arm. As well as tall black ankle boots, a long pointed heel that told you they had to be painful to walk in. A curvy body draped in a form fitting, also black, dress, shoulderless and coming up to wrap around her neck. The exposed skin that you could see was mildly concerning, twisted and contorted, some areas off-color. Some sort of scarring you'd guess, but that wasn't any of your business. 

The part that had you absolutely reeling was the mask. Contrasting her uneven skin with a shiny white and smooth surface. Sculpted shapely lips painted black, blacked out eyes with obnoxiously pointed and feminine eyelashes drawn on, unnecessary eyebrows completing the mask. Giving it an almost knowing smile, like she knew something you didn't. Framing the bright white was luscious black curls, draped around her almost beautifully. But you weren't here to check the strange woman out, you were more so alarmed this stranger approached you of all people. Wearing a mask of all things.

A heavy pit formed in your gut just looking at her, you took a step back as she stood still only feet away. She spoke once more in her smooth yet seemingly hateful tone, impatiently asking, _"Are you (Y/n) (L/n)?"_

You blinked, mouth falling open as confusion wracked your brain. What was this, some kind of prank? Or was she some obsessive stalker coming for your head? All you had to say was, "What?"

She repeated herself, tone growing only darker, a slight growl, "Are you (Y/n) (L/n)?"

You took another step back while she took one closer. _Click._ Leaning forward like she was about to pounce, not giving you room to breathe or think.

Talking around people you were intimidated by at work was a struggle, but this was something else. Something sinister that you didn't want any part in. Your brain ran through scenario after scenario, you were one to think things through before acting, calculating your odds of success in everyday situations before even going about them. You had to be careful, throw her off track. Running would just confirm that you were in fact who she said you were. You didn't like this one fucking bit, anxiety running high, adrenaline telling you to run but your mind kept you in place. Throwing out the best response you could out as fast as you could, thinking that if you were too slow that she'd catch on.

"No. I don't know who that is." You couldn't keep the quiver out of your voice as you tried and failed to smile at her, like you weren't shitting your pants. 

Another step forward from the woman, _clack._ One more step back from you, heart racing at the sight of the masked weirdo dressed like a super fashionable goth. The two of you stayed frozen like that for a few moments more, air crackling with thick tension. You thought it best to try and ease the tension with more lies, "I'm not her. Please leave me alone."

"I never said (Y/n) (L/n) was a woman." Her words cut through you coldly, _click._

She caught you in a bald-faced lie, your mind fumbled for a better explanation, "Just uh," Your mouth was growing dryer by the second, "Sounds like a girl name? And also! My name is," Names were an easy and simple concept but all names seemed to disappear from your brain, you blabbered out the first combination of names you thought of, "Ollie Cherpussie!" You almost immediately smacked your forehead in stupid shame, subconsciously saying a pun of a name that Noah showed you last week. 

He had been looking into gaming as of late. He saw you on your laptop playing and chattering with your friends who you called by their usernames. Noah wanted to join in on the fun even if he had no fucking idea how video games worked. He just wanted a silly name, you’d heard some dumb names in your day, and that one nearly took the cake. Him smiling widely as he suggested the idea.

AngryMom, shortened to Mom. BioDelta02, shorted to Bio. A couple that lived together in New York. You’d been playing online with them since late high school, dumb shooters, online board games, or just late night chitchats over Discord. They were good people and making friends online was a lot easier than it was in real life. 

Your online friends gamertags didn’t matter right now though. They couldn’t help you all the way from New York. You were nearly alone in a dingy subway with some crazy goth lady who somehow knew your name and what you looked like.

You could just sense the look of distaste and annoyance on her face as she spoke once more, “Don’t lie to me, (Y/n).”

The jig was up and you knew it. The second best option at your disposal was exactly what you did, turn tail and book it. She hadn’t done anything, hadn’t pulled a gun or blade on you, or even threatened you for the matter. The thing is, when a masked woman approaches you in a mostly empty subway at four in the morning, you fucking run.

Your scruffy sneakers squeaked against the tile as you threw yourself away from her. She immediately gave chase, not good.

_Click, clack, click, clack._

You couldn’t help but first think about how you were about to be maimed or worse. Found dead in a ditch or dismembered in trash bags that were scattered about the city. But if you wanted to not be dead by daylight, you had to push the nearly overwhelming thoughts away. You had to think of where you were going to go, what you’d do if she caught up to you. The uncertainty of the situation was wildly terrifying though, you didn’t know if she wanted to steal your identity or what but no matter the motive. She was still chasing you nonetheless, you didn’t know how long she was going to keep it up but you were betting that she wasn’t looking to leave you be.

_Click, clack, click, clack._

“ _Get back here._ ” A muffled hiss from behind that sent a horrible chill down your spine. Irritating someone probably dangerous was never a good idea. You shot a glance over your shoulder while running alongside the subway platform, she was further away now. Running in heels like that had to have slowed her a good bit but she was still running, keeping up with you. An adrenaline fueled, confused, and terrified person.

Maybe you could reason with her, maybe you could try to have a silver tongue that you knew damn well you didn’t have. Talking calmed people down right? You knew that rambling calmed you down, maybe if she just let it all out, talked about whatever the hell led her to running after you in such a ridiculously fashionable outfit.

“What do you want? What’s going on?” You shouted the basic questions over your shoulder, you were getting a bit further away from her. Maybe she was a slow runner, maybe the heels were killing her feet, probably both.

**_Clackety-clack! Clackety-clack!_**

The grating of metal on old train tracks usually bothered the ever-loving shit out of you, but right now it sounded like your ticket to freedom. A twenty mile an hour speeding ticket out of the nearly empty subway tunnel. Those sleeping on benches only somewhat stirred, some starting to groggily awaken. 

**_Clackety-clack! Clackety-clack!_ **

_“Stop running!”_ The woman growled in a huff, stamina being drained quickly as you increased the distance between the both of you, “You’re just making this harder on yourself.” You weren’t going to listen to her directions. Basic survival instinct telling you no, self preservation having you run faster and faster.

**_SSSSSSKRREEECH!_**

The gray mass roared past you, slowly coming to a stop, the screeching of the brakes making your skin crawl, but you had other things to worry about.

The doors slowly opened in a high pitched hiss. You immediately turned into the nearest open door, the woman a good few yards behind. That didn’t mean that you were in the clear yet, adrenaline telling you to keep on running down the metal isle until you were sure you were safe. 

Heart thundering in the confines of your rib cage, you tore down the metal train car lined with ugly plush seats. Crumbled cans of soda and forgotten news paper lay upon on the steel that rattled beneath your feet as you moved. Continuously shooting glances over your shoulder as an automated voice spoke over the crackling loud speakers.

**“Stand clear of the closing doors please.”**

You felt the pit in your gut sink further just as the doors started to close. In the wee hours of the morning the conductors had a habit of just barely stopping at the stations. Hardly anybody was ever there anyways.

At the end of the train, the woman flew inside through a slowly closing door. If you didn’t get the hell out of dodge you’d be trapped with her. Only other train cars to run to. Which could work but you’d prefer not to be on the same transit as the mystery woman that was coming for your ass.

Just inches away was a closing window, more accurately door, of opportunity. She seemed to catch onto the look of hope crossing your face, shouting, “Don’t you dare!” You were already leaping from the doors, feeling the metal seal shut just behind your heel. 

Taking a few hasty steps back, you brought a hand to your beating chest. Your relief didn’t last long. The black, tan, and white mass that was the woman stumbled into view of the subway doors. Divided by dirty glass and sealed doors. Her chest shuddering, probably taking labored breaths. Using a burst of stamina and angry determination to try to get to the door. Too bad for her because the doors were shut and the subway was starting to move. 

The sight of her was mortifying, the woman who chased you for no discernible reason. What was even more terrifying was when you saw her bring her hands to center of the door, jamming her fingers into the plastic that sealed the doors shut. You just barely got a glimpse of her moving her gloved arms, a sharp ' _skkkerch'_ sounding from the door as they were forcibly pried open a single inch. What the fuck?

**_Clackety-clack! Clackety-clack!_**

You weren't going to dwell on the she-hulk that was being whisked away in a metal car. You weren't going to stick around, jumpy and eager to get off the platform and onto a train. Be taken the hell out of here and just go home. Be somewhere that didn't feel suddenly tainted with a horrible association.

**_Clackety-clack! Clackety-clack!_ **

You got a glimpse of the woman as she further tore the doors apart, this time much more than a single inch. You whipped your head to the train that just pulled up on the other side of platform.

**_SSSSSSKRREEECH!_**

You had no idea where it went but you just wanted away from the masked woman. Sneakers squeaking on tile once more as you made a run for it. Jumping into the train car filled with stagnant air just before the doors sealed shut. 

Anxiety running high, your hands were shaking but you still made yourself look out the window on the shut door. You caught a look at the woman as she leaped from the train, just getting to see her for a moment as she tumbled onto the train platform. She opened the doors with her bare fucking hands. What was she? _Who_ was she? What did she want? Why did she know your name? How did she know where to find you?

The car shuddered as it picked up speed, you stumbling to the side. Side catching on the back of a stained seat as you struggled to keep upright as the train moved along. You dragged yourself into the seat, still shaking while you tried to process everything that just happened. Mostly what to do next. The wheels grumbling loudly on the old rails, grating horribly in your ears. You didn't know where this train went, how long it's circuit was. It wasn't like you could back to the familiar platform she could be waiting. Even angrier. 

You'd have to get off at a random stop when you felt safe enough, miles away from your masked chaser. Then you'd be lost, feeling like you couldn't return to your normal platform. Having to try and find another route home, if there even was one. It was all too much. You needed to talk to somebody.

Noah.

Your (f/c) phone was ripped from your pocket, adorned in stickers of cutesy monsters and the iconic worm on a string. Fingers having to retype your pass code multiple times, too shaky to do it with a practiced ease like normal. 

"Pick up, pick up, pick up." You chanted to yourself as you clicked on his name in your contacts list, wanting to hear something other than the rattling of the train car. Momentarily forgetting about your Bluetooth's with the mix of panic and fear running through your system.

"Hello?" His voice graced your right ear, confused and already worried. 

You let out your stream of consciousness out into the rectangular device, "Someone _just fucking chased me._ " You swallowed a thick lump in your throat that you were unaware that had formulated, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. 

"What?" You heard him ask, concern thick as you continued.

"She was wearing a mask and she was running _so_ fast for someone in heels." You got caught on the pettier details before moving onto the more spine chilling ones, "Oh! She apparently knows my name, what I look like, _and_ where I go to take public fucking transit! And she pried the doors open and she threw herself off the train and she-"

"Wait, wait, hold up. You need to slow down." Hands shaking, eyes watery, sweat formulating on your palms, ears filled with a grating noise, night uprooted, your brain had taken off too quickly, this was too much. "Take a deep breath." You kept on opening and closing your mouth, trying to tell him that you couldn't, "Come on, with me on the count of three." He may have been worried, horrified even if he didn't know what was going on but he was able to keep himself calm. He may have been a worry wart in less dramatic situations but when it came down to it, he'd always been good at calming you down when you got overwhelmed.

"One." You just had to trust him to help but there was still looming dread deep in your gut.

"Two." Even when you settled down you'd still be lost. Someone still chased you, someone still out there. What if she knew where you lived? Overthinking dangerously spiking, no signs of stopping.

"Three." Noah took an audible inhale, holding it in while you shakily copied him almost out of habit. The two of you stayed like that for a few seconds while you heard James quietly ask what was wrong. Then you heard the soft rushing of air from the speaker, and you let go of the breath heavy in your lungs. Closing your eyes and slightly relaxing into the seat. The both of you did that a few more times, your heart starting to slow back to its normal rate, what seemed like a booming screech of metal wheels seemed to become less attention grabbing.

Sniffling, wiping away stray tears, Noah asked, "Are you safe?"

Even though he couldn't see you, you nodded with a mumbled, "I think so."

"Where are you now?" He was trying to further ground you, help you find yourself so you could take the steps necessary to proceed. You looked around a moment before seeing a map behind smudged glass. It showed the train's route, other routes as well. You felt some of the weight in your gut lift seeing that this route would lead to a platform that would take you on a different train usual. The other line was a few stops away, you just had to wait a couple minutes before you transferred rides. It had the same stop as your normal commute, you could get home without running into that crazy ass again. If she approached you at the subway then that had to mean she didn't know where you went next, she didn't know where you lived. At least you hoped so. 

"Route seven," You forced yourself to take another deep breath, "I think I can get home okay." Verbal reassurance for yourself and Noah. You rocked your heels back and forth on the shaking floor. Moving from a rambling mess to only speaking when spoken to. What a ride.

"Did you call the cops?" You didn't like the police as much as the next guy but when a masked person chases you down, it was a good idea to call the authorities.

"No." You didn't want to hang up or talk to somebody else. You wanted to file a complaint or whatever the hell you're supposed to do when hunted down in the subway but Noah was your rock. You felt that he could help you more than a nine-one-one operator. 

**_SSSSSSKRREEECH!_**

You held onto your seat while Noah processed your short responses. The doors of the car hissing as they opened. "Okay," He spoke decisively as you heard a quiet, "James hon, can you call the cops? Hm?"

**THUNK.**

You paid no mind to the shudder of the car, just a footstep of another passenger. You didn't want to occupy yourself with them. You just wanted to listen to Noah talk, intently listening to James as he asked a few questions.

**THUNK.**

"Yeah, the non emergency line. I think she's safe now." His words reaffirmed the fact that the woman couldn't get you here. There was no way. She may have been some sort of freak to pry the doors open but she was still a human, one in tall heels at that. 

"I'm gonna head back to the apartment with James, alright?" The doors hissed as the sealed shut. "We'll be waiting for you when you get home." James may not have had his own living space but he had a shitty car that he delivered pizzas in, "Now, do you feel comfortable enough to try and reiterate what happened so we can tell the authorities?"

**THUNK.**

You couldn't help but look over at the end of the car toward the noise that send shudders through the car. It was supposed to be a glance at the heavy footfalls, check out the weirdly loud noise and then go back to talking to Noah once more. But you couldn't seem to look away.

The figure was clad in black and imposing, larger than any one person you'd ever seen, unnaturally tall. The phone in his hand looked pitifully minuscule as an eerily familiar voice barked at the silent figure. That wasn't the part that had your breath catching in your throat, it was another person in a mask. This time it was a vibrant blue, two ovals of pitch black piercing into you as he ducked under the threshold into the car you sat in.

**“Stand clear of the closing doors please.”**


	2. 1 - Prey At Night

You didn’t know what to do. The figure that stood effortlessly in the now moving subway car had a deeply off putting presence and yet he hadn’t done anything. But you wanted to run. Far, far away. Your heart pounding and your hands shaking, looking into the ovals, frozen like a deer in headlights.

“(Y/n)?” Noah called over the phone at your sudden silence. 

You just kept staring at the ovals of black with your mouth agape. It was just barely moving but ever so slowly, thick globs of a black substance shifted down the mask. A fat droplet of it formed at the mask’s chin, letting gravity pull it downward, slow as molasses. 

The black leather that hung off of him looked like a weird mix between a lab coat and a trench coat. Belt like straps holding the garment together on his torso while just below his hips the straps were unbuckled, hanging and clanging against each other dully as the train shifted. Revealing long legs shrouded in dark green pants you didn’t care to consider too deeply. One arm bent and holding a tiny phone to his ear, the other lazily trailing along the roof of the car, fingerless gloves donning unnecessary decorative straps. Thick blue gray fingers drawing your attention for the longest time, long black nails, almost like claws at the end of his dead looking fingers. The loud footfalls came from his chunky platform boots, more pointless straps and buckles up and down the both boots. You didn’t know what to think of the second goth person you’d seen tonight, this one more over-dramatic than the last. The entire ensemble a monochrome palette of blue-ish black and gray.

Tall. He was _so_ fucking tall. Freakishly so. You’d been outside before, you’d seen people six feet tall and over. But this was something else. The top of his hooded head came higher than the shut door of whence he came. How tall did someone have to be not fit through a door?

It wasn’t the nicest thing in the world to stare but you’d had a bad night with people in masks. This one was just staring in your general direction, doing nothing but listening an eerily familiar voice on his phone. You hoped to god he was some kind of socially awkward circus freak.

Once more Noah asked, more panicked, “(Y/n)?”

**THUMP.**

You never knew someone taking a step toward you could be so spine chillingly menacing. The subway car seemed to shake under his heel. Heart starting to pick up it’s earlier pace, your mind telling you to move. Yet part of you said that another masked pursuer was unlikely. Maybe the intimidating woman and the absolute beanstock of a man were in the same circus act and shes’s just crazy. 

You stayed glued to your seat, looking wide eyed at the man who’d lazily taken a single step into the isle. The voice playing over his phone growing more distinct.

The sheer terror in his voice further upped your anxiety, “(Y/n)?” 

**THUMP.**

Another step, another rattle through the moving car. You could just hear every other syllable from the woman’s voice. You wondered if he could hear Noah too.

**THUMP.**

Closer. Not quite stalking toward you, not running, just a lackadaisical movement forward like he didn’t have a care in the world, head pointed down at you casually. 

“(Y/n) are you there? Are you okay?” Something was wrong, very, very wrong. Guts flipping and turning in knots while you rocked your feet faster back and forth. Trying and failing to comfort yourself.

You could just barely make out her voice, "-et so quiet? Did you find her?" She'd only shouted at you a handful of times but the memory of her voice was fresh and filled you with fear.

"(Y/n)? Whatever's going on, you need to talk to me." Noah was trying to continue to ground you, get you to let it all out but under the ovals of black you felt frozen in place.

What melted the metaphorical ice was his voice, "Yeah, I found her."

Deep and velvety but something was off, wrong. Sounding like any other persons voice but with this nearly indiscernible edge to it, all you knew what that his voice set off alarm bells. It seemed to sink under your skin, fill you with a panicked heat, a contradictory chill running down your spine. It didn't help your thundering heart when you heard him speak once more, "Give me a second, bye."

You forced yourself up from your seat, the shuddering movements of the moving subway car making balance difficult, your hand not holding the phone grabbing a metal bar to steady yourself, the metal cool against your suddenly hot hands. Her voice only added another layer to your confused fear, _"Jack! I swear to god, don't han-"_

_Beep._

'Jack' sighed, shoving the phone into a pocket in his weird jacket, coat thing, speaking to himself softly, "Enough of that."

Your first thought was about how fucking rude that was. Your second was that you should get as far away from him as you possibly could. Hoping that he wasn't going to run at you as well. The fact that he was completely unbothered by the movement of the car was the least unsettling of your problems, but it just told you that he'd have no problem catching up to you. 

**THUMP.**

Another step forward as he looked up from his pocket to you. Not teasing or purposefully terrifying, just lazy. You moved your hand to the back of the chair to steady yourself, taking careful steps back. Letting go of the chair felt like letting go of a life line as he took another booming step forward. Your shaking knees almost giving below you, only saving your balance by grabbing onto the next pole you could reach, clinging to it desperately. You were terrified of the newest freak that was coming at you, but you were more scared to try and make a run for the door at the end of the car. Your lack of balance could lead to you falling. The risk of being on the ground, crawling and scrambling away while he walked up to you unbothered with his chunky shoes wasn't a fun thought. 

What was he going to do if he caught up to you? 

Sling you over his broad shoulder and take you to the masked woman? Crush your head beneath his giant boots? You did _not_ want to get stomped on. Maybe he'd knock you out and then you'd wake up in an ice bath, free of kidneys.

He'd helped you through a lot, his voice a comfort, "(Y/n)? Are you okay?" Noah repeated, the familiar voice of concern spurred you to let go of the poll and shakily stumble to the next one. Grabbing it to steady yourself while looking over your shoulder, he was still walking at you, still coming. You had to pick up the pace if you wanted to get away from the tall freak.

Unevenly moving forth toward the metal door, you squeaked out, "No. I think I'm in danger."

"What kind of danger? Are you running?" You were certainly trying to but not moving too fast, currently wrestling with the handle of the door that led to the space in between subway cars. Constantly looking over you shoulder at the mass of leather and fear that approached with long legs. 

The door burst open, you nearly falling forward and slamming your face against the open door. "Yeah." Was all you could manage to say but he probably couldn't hear you over the artificial wind that roared on the outside of the cars. You carefully stepped over the threshold between both of the cars, jimmying the door open much easier than the last. 

As you threw yourself into the next unit he, Jack you supposed, was pushing open the first door which had only began to close. Ducking his head below the metal frame. A large hand coming to grip the entrance of the train car that you'd just stumbled through. Not yet standing back to his full height as he pushed the screeching door further open, slowly coming forth in an awkward shuffle that had his leather garments squeaking. 

His momentary slowed pace only further told you how lax he was about chasing you. You were going to take advantage of your brief period to get further ahead, power walking as safely as you could. Unable to sprint without nearly falling flat onto your face, forced to grab the sides of chairs and poles to support yourself in the moving car with shaking legs. Walking while in a moving train usually wasn't this much of a struggle, but there was something so viscerally wrong with his presence that had your legs turning to Jello. Unable to slow down your thoughts, heart rate, or the violent quake of your knees and hands. 

Finally he straightened himself out, instantly moving at the same lackadaisical pace.

**THUMP.**

His footsteps only seemed to worsen your balance as the metal floor rattled beneath his weight. The bottom of his coat swishing back and forth as he took long steps closer and closer.

**THUMP.**

Noah asked another question but his voice was completely drowned out by _his_ , "I'm going to be honest with you," Monotone, addressing you casually, "It is literally impossible to get away." There was an underlying cockiness in his word which had you continuing to shamble forth. Yet him speaking to you further revealed the wrongness with his voice. It wasn't piercing, slurred, or hateful, it was entirely something else. Upon first hearing his words directed to you, you felt yourself being pulled toward him by your own body. A total radio voice that seemed to reel you in, like you were mindless prey. Hook, line, and sinker. But despite the subconscious desire to stay put for him, your self preservation was much stronger than his almost supernatural draw, the hot underlying quiver of danger and promise made you all the more desperate to escape. 

You didn't understand how someone could have such a lovely voice, something so right but something so very, very wrong with it. Like rancid rot under nicely polished floorboards.

Your breath caught in your throat as you threw the door to the next car open as the man continued forward. You could just make out a muffled sigh over the screech of the door, wind whipping and metal on rail screaming. 

Being in between train cars was a safety hazard but so was staying near the leather obsessed fuck that was growing closer by the second. But you found you couldn't open the next door, frame jammed by rust or built up grime.

You could just hardly make Noah out, "(Y/n), what's going on?!" Panic even thicker in his voice, "Who was that? Where are you?" He was softly demanding answers to questions you couldn't answer, throat hot and constricting. 

"I don't know. I don't know." You shoved your shoulder onto the door, it shook with the impact but barely moved. You were going to try to use both hands, shoving your phone on a raised shoulder, trapping it in place with the side of your head. Both hands coming to the handle and shaking it with all your might, looking over your shoulder to see the man start to push open the door behind you. Thoughts were just pouring out of your mouth at this point, you didn't care to filter them, "I'm so scared, oh my god." You threw yourself into the door once more, the metal barrier starting to give.

"It's gonna be fine, okay?" Noah reassured with a tone of terror, uncertainty of your situation only fueling the 'what if's in his head. "Just run. James is calling the cops." The man was probably confusedly chattering at the non-emergency operator, changing his mind on a dime that your unknown circumstances were more dire than initially thought. The man started to duck beneath the metal frame as you wildly worked on the metal door that was more like a wall that was boxing you in with the freak. "Route seven right?" The man was almost fully through the door a hand rising from his side to reach out to you, "What's the next st-"

The metal flew open with a final push of all your strength. Your body shuddering with the impact, suddenly falling to the side while your phone flew from your shoulder. Hitting the ground with a sudden throb of pain but despite that you scrambled forward. Quickly going from your side, to all fours, to stumbling on two legs, grabbing anything you could for support.

No longer was there warm glass pressed to the side of your head, a terrified yet familiar voice in your ear. The disembodied voice of Noah was yelling from the cracked phone on the ground. Rattling with the movement of the car and his footsteps that seemed like they could shake the earth itself. As much as you wanted, desperately needed, his comfort, there was no way you were going back to grab your phone. As it lay at the feet of the man who stood at his full height, your phone inches away from his boots.

The false face of blue and oozing black looked down at you, voice once again trying to subconsciously reel you in, "You're not very good at listening." A deadpan that seemed to mock you as he resumed his tauntingly slow gait. 

**THUMP.**

Your phone disappeared beneath the black heel, caving under his weight immediately. Noah's panicked questions and reassurances gone. It was just you and him, you and Jack.

You didn't exactly know what to say, all you could do was move forward and hope the next stop was soon. Hope that maybe you could pull the same thing on him as you did what the woman on the phone. Maybe he'd stop chasing you if you escaped the train and yelled for help, if there was anyone capable of doing so that is. He'd back off if people came running right? 

Comfort was found in rambling, "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god." Speaking to yourself over the terrifying presence just feet behind you. Only momentarily grabbing things and pushing yourself forward, knowing nothing other than confusion and fear. Calculated plans slipping through your brain, your only option was running. 

In between cars once more after pushing past a thankfully unjammed door, you stepped over the shifting threshold. Anxious about falling off but you were less concerned with that than getting away. There was a man trying to fucking get you after all. 

The next car came with a new sight that wasn't just different kinds of trash. A man relaxed into the plush chair, head lulled back and drool dribbling down the sides of his face. Talking to strangers wasn't your strongest area but it wasn't like you weren't going to warn the guy. Not enough distance to try and shake him away, fearful that Jack the giant would hoist you up from the back of your jacket and do whatever he saw fit. There was also the catharsis of screaming, talking to another human being to share in your mutual horror. _"GET UP! GET UP!"_

The man hardly stirred, head shifting back and forth ever so slightly and mumbling something incoherent. _"RUN!"_ You shouted wildly, tearing forward, _"OH MY GOD! GET UP AND GO!"_

Passing the man felt like dropping your phone again. Having to leave it behind with the masked man's increasing proximity.

"Calm down." There it was again, the audible equivalent of a magnet. Except this time the subway was starting to come to screeching halt. You having to grab a pole to keep yourself from falling in his direction. The mask of black and blue didn't even turn toward the man who was in all honesty, probably passed out drunk. "I just want you."

A twinge of vile disgust slid through your system, overpowered by gut wrenching fear. The unconscious man would be fine, except for the nasty hangover he'd be waking up to in a few hours. He couldn't listen to your cries for help, need for him to get his ass up and save himself. But he didn't need saving, you did.

You couldn't stop yourself from letting out a shriek of, "That's not reassuring!" At the man who'd hadn't halted, taking advantage of you trying to fight inertia itself by keeping yourself steady on a germ infested poll. Talking to the towering freak made your skin crawl but it was all you felt that you could do to calm yourself, it hardly helped. You still tried anyway, _"Leave me alone!"_

"No." Jack deadpanned as the subway car shuddered, slowing further.

He'd spoken sparingly but every time he had it was calm and collected, clearly in control with a tinge of sass. It pissed you off but you weren't looking to say the wrong thing to get him to start dead sprinting at you. His words had you at the end of your tether, rage subdued by survival instinct, festering. Pushing you to scream out a question with a biting tone, "What do you want?"

**_SSSSSSKRREEECH!_ **

The sudden application of breaks had your footing faltering, two hand harshly gripping the pole while the train was forced into a less gradual and more sudden stop. His hand reaching for you again, blue-gray fingers eye-catching but you weren't going to stick around to stare. The car came forward as it finished it's breaking, doors hissing as they started to part. You threw yourself away from his massive palm, making a break for the door that wasn't open wide enough for you to fit through just yet.

"For you to stop moving around so much." He matter-of-factly answered, somehow making you feel stupid for asking your pursuer what he wanted. He clearly had bad intentions in mind, of course he wasn't going to tell you what he was going to do. Maybe he liked the fear that radiated off you with the uncertainty or possibly, he didn't know what he was going to do himself. Nothing but a flunkie for some higher power, perhaps the masked woman or someone else. You didn't fucking know what they wanted and you sure as hell weren't going to stop moving.

You refused to look back at the masked terror, eyes on the prize in the form of opening doors. 

**THUMP.**

Your entire body shook with the impact of his boot on the metal floor directly behind you. The swaying of his coat was another loud indicator of how close he was. In your minds eye you could vividly make out his ridiculously large hand reaching for the back of your jacket, clawed fingers closing in around you. 

That's why the second the doors parted wide enough for you to even think that you could shimmy though, you jammed yourself sideways between them. At first there was a pressure on your back and chest, stuck halfway out the door and half on the train. Refusing to look at the hand that you knew was lazily coming for you. But the doors kept on opening and adrenaline kept on flowing. Pressure almost instantly relieved but not making it easy for you to throw yourself a few more inches out the door. A foot finding the grounding yellow concrete, not to be shaken by the movement of the subway or the thunderous footsteps of the man. 

Grunting, you dug your heel into the stable ground, body being fully freed from the doors. Throwing yourself down the platform, screaming absolute bloody murder. Attention, help, the authorities, someone to talk to who wasn't a masked circus freak. Throwing your head over your shoulder to get a look, hoping he'd stay on subway and fuck off into the night.

Things weren't going to play out in your favor tonight. Jack ducking his head under the open exit, hood shifting back as it was momentarily caught on the top of the door. Pulling the hood back just enough for strands of brown to poke out above his mask. You were almost stunned to see that he had hair, but were still taken aback that his neck was the same unnatural gray color. It was jarring to see something so humanly normal peak out from behind his dress. Less of a monster than his initial appearance let on. Your little nerd brain was mildly intrigued but not nearly enough to ask questions or slow down. You wouldn't put yourself at risk for the chance to question a potentially dangerous weirdo. 

**THUMP.**

His footsteps weren't as ground shaking as they were inside the subway, but there was still a tremor through the concrete. Traveling though the worn soles of your sneakers, forcing a chill to travel though your body. You didn't want to look at the stranger anymore, only screaming louder.

Eyes of (e/c) flickering to the path dead ahead. Dark gray stairs leading above ground, rails that were always weirdly damp dully shining under the florescent lights. You didn't see a single soul that was awake or not inebriated. Some lifting their heads to dumbly stare at you as you tore past.

One shouting hypocritically, "Ay! Shut tha fuck up! People are tryin' ta sleep!"

Though their words were abrasive, you didn't have the time to be upset over it, screaming, "PLEASE CALL THE POLICE!" Heart throbbing violently in your rib cage as you kept on moving. The shaking of the ground following you with the sound of his footfalls.

"FUCK TWELVE!" One of the voices slurred. Police sucked some dick but you'd take having to talk to an egotistical asshole dressed in blue over having your organs harvested by a different asshole in blue.

You got it, you were in a New Jersey subway at four in the morning but Jesus Christ. "THERE IS A MAN CHASING ME!" You reasoned with the people across the way. They had to see the giant freak behind you, he was hard to miss.

"Walking behind you is not 'chasing'. I am not chasing anybody." The motherfucker lied with shitty reasoning, trying to cement that no one would actually call the police. 

_"YES YOU ARE!"_ You hysterically screeched, glancing behind you against your better judgement. Though you were sprinting he was keeping up pretty well. Not dangerously close but close enough to fill you with dread, closer then he had been the last time you looked. This time he was power walking, arms stiffly swaying at his sides and the bottom of his trench coat swishing back and forth noisily.

"No I'm not." Sounding very sure of himself, you could just barely make out the twinge of a chuckle. A deep rumble that showcased the oddity in his voice, like an low undertone, an echo of what he was saying. Perhaps created by speaking through the mask. Lying through his teeth with what you perceived to be a little smile or maybe he was delusional. Thinking he wasn't actually doing anything wrong, you couldn't tell. Either way, he was still a whack job that was probably going to flay you. 

"You _literally_ have been chasing me!" You blabbered, trying to prove your case to the thirty-somethings drunk off fireball. 

"I'm just walking." Jack casually argued while you shot another glance over your shoulder, closer. Maybe ten-ish feet away, you didn't fucking know, you weren't going to take out a tape measure and judge the distance between the two of you. The shaking of the ground only got worse as he continued to very obviously chase you. Long legs carrying his power walk faster than your sprint could. 

One thing that you couldn't stand for whatever reason was being wrong. Mostly when the other person was willfully ignorant, even more so if they were being a douche about it. You hissed, a blur of color far behind him catching your eye, "Oh, so you're just walking super fast after a woman at _four in the morning, in a subway, in a mask?"_ Rambling out his offenses against you, all the evidence that pointed to him being a terrifying weirdo.

Jack didn't miss a beat, retorting, "It isn't illegal to walk in a public area at any time of day." There was a blur behind him that came more into focus with each passing second, green, blue, and brown. A person running full speed at the two of you. You were praying to god that whoever it was, that they weren't trying to run toward a soon to be missed ride and instead coming to somehow save you. He continued, "I have a skin condition." Making technical sense but still twisting the situation toward you being some crazy ass running for no discernible reason. 

God. You huffed through your nostrils, sending a silent prayer toward the incoming figure. Looking back to the stairs which were growing ever closer. Fear and frustration. You wanted to keep on arguing but your better judgement caught up to you, telling you not to further jabber at him. It was clear that onlookers thought you were bonkers or didn't want to call the police. There was also the fact that getting pissy, arguing pettily back and forth was distracting you from having a clear head.

It was the bravest thing you could do, shut your trap when rambling and screaming back at him brought a slight sense of comfort. You wished that you didn't drop your phone. You wished that you could have grabbed it. You wished Jack didn't crush the device beneath his over-sized fucking foot. 

You just had to keep telling yourself that the police were called. A dispatch sent in your general direction. Hopefully finding you quickly or their presence being enough to get the masked man to scram. Even though you couldn't hear Noah's voice or text Bio or Mom, the ever present thought that help was on the way kept you going along with self preservation. Noah was your rock, even if you couldn't see or hear him he was still there for you. Ever present and not going anywhere, he would never leave you.

**\----**

_She'd come to your house. Telling you things you didn't want to hear. Things clicking together all too well in your head while you sat rocking your heels back and forth and fidgeting with the sleeves of your over-sized hoodie. Making sense while you adamantly denied reason. Looking to your lap and not to the woman who sat across the dining room table. Dropping the bomb on you with a sickeningly soft tone._

_Dead and deader. Hospitalized. Missing. The Woods family in absolute shambles, even more than it had been._

_You couldn't look at her, round face now associated with the news that flowed past her lips. Mouth sealed shut and body shuddering as you let out deep breaths, trying and failing to keep yourself calm and mentally present._

_"Did he ever," She paused to think over what words to sugar coat the situation in, "Do anything bad?"_

_You didn't like going past the threshold of the woods for a reason._

_Did they deserve this? Sure, they were horrible, terrible, people and deserved to be thrown in jail. But such a brutal slaying was something entirely different. They didn't tell you the gorey details, all you knew was that it was worse than bad, that Jeff had done something awful. Their deaths weren't the worst part by far. You never liked them, they were the definition of what a bad person was. You weren't caught up in grief over them. Though you didn't see it coming, it made sense. If Jeff was going to kill anybody it'd be his parents. Yet you didn't want to believe that he did._

_Liu, just a little over fifteen, stabbed multiple times. The count and where he was injured was not specified. She was trying to soften the blow, but that didn't change that fact that he was in the hospital. You could only hope that it was a minor cut or somewhere insignificant. If anyone didn't deserve to be hurt like that it was Liu._

_Sometimes he acted weird, sometimes he stopped talking all together, eye glazing over and standing frozen. Other times he got mean, angry, volatile, you never understood why. Apologizing whenever Jeff would confront his older brother, pointing fingers and shouting at the teen. He claimed to never remembered saying that you were a, "Fucking pushover," Or a, "Useless dumbass." Despite the sudden anger, the confusion he caused you, he was a good kid. Most of the time you and him got along pretty well. To the point where you weren't just Jeff's friend that came over a lot, but his friend too._

_"I haven't even shown Liu yet! Wanted to show you first."_

_"(Y/n)? (Y/n)?" The woman called out to you while your puny thirteen year old brain scrambled to process the information._

_How did it go bad so quickly? Was living in Connecticut with a bunch of rich white people that shitty? Maybe it was in self defense, the Jeff you knew wouldn't kill a person, would he? Was it your fault? A couple days after the move he stopped picking up your call as much, text replies no longer instant. Did you say something wrong to offend him? He was more sensitive then he let on, an emotional young boy that preferred punching inanimate objects over crying._

_Sometimes it was more than just a punch. Sometimes it was expensive china or decorative rocks in his front yard. Sometimes it was animals._

_You just wanted her to go away. You didn't want to hear it anymore. It didn't feel real. The willow tree that you'd been staring longingly at, sometimes sitting under alone for old times sake was still there. Calling him up and sometimes not getting an answer. A physical representation of your best friend that brought back mostly warm memories, good ones, laughing and talking all night. He was a good kid, you didn't think he'd do something like that. You knew him better than she did, sounding utterly convinced of the atrocities she accused him of. He wouldn't do that, the boy under the willow tree coughing as he attempted to smoke one of his dad's cigars that he'd snatched from his study._

_But you couldn't forget the rock. The red. The brown fur covering a tiny unmoving body._

_You just had to tell her what she wanted to hear then she'd leave you be. Then she'd go away, she'd stop softly telling you things that she presented as fact. It was just a theory, as time passed and evidence was looked further into you knew, just fucking knew, that they'd find Jeff innocent. He was taken away by somebody. That somebody who did what they did to his family. Jeff was out there, she shouldn't be wasting her time with you. Slowly building up to ask if you'd been in contact, what he said, how he acted, if you knew where he'd go. You didn't fucking know and it sucked. He told you everything, showed you everything, if he was going anywhere you would know._

_The word didn't come out the way that you wanted it to. Not a dismissal for her to go but a vague answer, "Rabbits."_

_The memory of stepping over bushes and brambles, him leading you by the hand with an even smile, deeper into the woods. "It's gonna be cool, I promise."_

_"Rabbits?" She echoed, taking a moment to put two and two together, "Did he hurt small animals?" She wanted confirmation when she should be going already. Drive down to Connecticut or something, be productive and not sit here saying things that were obviously wrong._

_Yet you couldn't manage to muster the balls to tell her to fuck off. Instead dryly saying, "Yes."_

_"Did he ever hurt you?" Anger. Your eyes snapped from your lap, meeting with hers for a brief moment. The frown, the brows raised in concern, pity. You had to look away, you couldn't take this._

_Short and stern, looking to the wall, "No." On accident he had, he'd always loved to roughhouse. Sometimes he got way too into it and you'd end up somewhat bruised but it was fine! That was just Jeff being Jeff._

_She told you it was confidential, at the time you didn't know what the fuck that meant. Later down the line you did learn what confidentiality meant and it sure as hell wasn't her yapping to the press about how Jeff killed 'innocent animals' and that he 'showed the signs of becoming a murderer in early childhood'. Your teenage years kicking off with a horrible start. Not long after the women left your house you heard on the news that Liu killed a nurse, fleeing into the woods and never to be found. People at school asking question after question for years. Scummy reporters getting ahold of your phone number and calling you, a child, to bombard you with questions about the missing brothers. Reminder after reminder drilled into your skull all while you tried to avoid it all._

_Time passed, naivete fading, details forcibly shoved at you, painting the narrative that he wasn't as innocent as you wanted him to be. You had to face the music but for the longest time, you refused to._ _You kept on telling yourself that Jeff, your rock, just disappeared. Gone with the wind with no blood on his hands. Hopefully somewhere better. Hopefully doing okay._

_But he left you, he left you and he murdered his family._

**\----**

 _"Hey big guy!"_ A new voice echoed through the underground, low and androgynous. A soft yet quickly repetitive sound playing as an undertone to the booming footsteps of the man power walking aggressively at you.

_Tip, tap, tip tap._

You whipped your head over your shoulder for what felt like the millionth time. It was a principal in any horror movie to not do that, that's how things got worse. You did it anyway, discarding imaginary rules.

She was running beside him, having caught up from far away in no time. Slowing down to a jog to keep up with his power walk. You were going to take a wild gander that she was either curious about the giant goth guy in the subway or she was a part of the masked task force. The thing was, she wasn't masked. 

Wearing heavy looking boots but her footsteps didn't shake the floor like his did. Dressed in much more color then the monochrome freak at her side. A green aviator jacket with way too much fluff, a white tank top, blue jeans torn and shredded at the knees. Short light brown hair sticking every which way, not hidden beneath a hood. There were some commonalities between the two, black fingerless gloves, something weird going on with their faces. 

With her you couldn't tell though. Looking over your shoulder while running made it hard to focus on her face. But there was a glaring uncanniness, something wrong. You didn't think one persons eye was supposed to be so wide while the other was normal. Surrounded by red-ish flesh, irritation perhaps. No pupil to be found, just black lines that you couldn't focus on. More black on either one of her cheeks. It looked like she drew with a black sharpie on her face, two little x's on either side of her face. Even more red tinted irritation around the blackness.

One hand holding a phone to her ear, only one eye blinking while the other eyelid just twitched. Looking up to Jack as you prayed silently at her to fucking help you. Stop staring and kick him into the train tracks. Instead of a swift kick, she harshly elbowed his side with cackle, "You're in trouble!"

"No I'm not." Casual conversation with an overtone of mutual annoyance. Not enough for her to kick his ass, it wasn't rocket science to put together that she was with him, she had to be to approach him and just strike up a conversation so normally. That or she was a crackhead. 

Jack continued in a deadpan, "That woman has no authority over me. I could quite literally crush her skull with one hand." You didn't intimately know the guy but you had a feeling the giant of a man wasn't lying.

The woman scoffed at him, one eye rolling as she turned her head to you. Her gaze was piercing, thin lips pulling into a smile that stretched the x's on her cheeks.

"Is that her?" It was cemented, she was with him, with the masked woman. Another person joining the chase, a person who just proved to be fast as all hell and willing to run unlike the massive man. "Or is she just running away because you're fucking ugly?" She snottily cracked at the man, though her eye didn't look away. You didn't know what was worse, the unknown that came with masks or the gleam of delight in her one eye. 

You couldn't take it, the look on her face that told you that she was having way too much fun with this. With a tinge of distaste he retorted, "What do you think?" 

The stairway was feet ahead and they were feet behind. All they needed to do was keep up their pace and they'd catch up any minute. Jack had proven that he didn't care to run while the woman jogging beside him seemed to be a much faster runner than you'd ever be.

As your foot reached the first concrete step, the woman shouted, _"Hey (Y/n), is that you?!"_

Cringing at the volume, you kept on climbing the set of stairs. Hoping that they weren't the type of people to jump two or three steps at a time. It wouldn't work, probably, but you tried anyway, "No!"

**THUMP.**

The stairs shuddered as Jack stomped up the first step. Rattling you to the core and not helping your anxiety. You'd stopped screaming a few seconds ago to save your vocal cords to yell for help when you got somewhere with people actually willing to help you. You kept telling yourself that it'd be fine, adrenaline would make you go faster, carry you farther than you thought you were capable. You'd find a police patrol car parked on the side of the street, the officer would let you in and drive you the fuck away. 

Yet you couldn't help the feeling of your stomach dropping six stories at the _tip, tap, tip, tap_ , of the woman's boots on the stairs. Two people were right on your ass, a few steps behind just as you saw the horizon that was the last step. It got worse when Jack spoke, "That's her."

"Oh! Janey!" The woman sounded incredibly pleased, "I found her!" Was the person on the other line the masked woman, Janey? Did they answer to her, follow her orders? What did she want with you?

You jumped up from the last step, past the threshold of the wretched subway tunnels and onto even more desolate sidewalk. Cool air slapped you in the face, different from the stagnant air in the underground. Storefront display lights on but no one was inside which was to be expected at this ungodly hour. 

" _I_ found her." Jack corrected as your sneakers pounded against cold concrete. Eyes swiping back and forth, looking for a single soul to step in or call the fucking police. Maybe there were people in apartments above the stores? Would anybody make it in time though? If they caught you, you could only hope that they'd be slow about skinning you alive and pulling your teeth out so someone could chase them off and save your broken body.

Thoughts jumping to all the pain you'd feel, or the coldness that came with bleeding out, a scream stuck in your throat. Words weren't a struggle for them though, "Well, I'm gonna be the one to get her because _I'm_ not fucking useless and dumb."

"You sure think highly of yourself." Jack evenly retorted as you shot another concerned glance over your shoulder.

Five feet? Four feet? "Because I'm _the_ shit!"

"Uh-huh. Sure." Basically within arms reach, either one of them could yank you back into them whenever they wanted. Their jabbing chatter back and forth didn't matter as much as escape.

Screeching, you looked back ahead, leaning forward and willing yourself to move even faster than before. Wind whipping through (h/c) locks and taking labored breaths. It didn't feel real, but you'd been through this sort of denial before. No matter how you sliced it, it all came down to the same shitty truth. You were fucked in one way or another. 

The odd eyed woman cackled, "Man! She looks real funny when she runs."

Finally something they didn't snap at one another over, "I know right?"

You'd learned a hard lesson in facing the music a long time ago. You didn't want to accept it but there fast approaching doom wasn't letting up, actively mocking you. You wanted to spite it, the truth coming for your ass. Escape against all odds like the boring, average yet gorgeous protagonist in a young adult novel.

You wanted the gut wrenching truth to turn out to be false and fickle. Heartache wouldn't be a part of this one, instead you'd be left with your heart carved out of your chest. But the _tip, tap, tip, tap,_ and rhythmic **THUMP** stayed ever present in your ears. They weren't going away no matter how much you wanted them to. So you just ran faster, trying to will yourself to scream.

"Okay, okay," The woman chattered with who you assumed to be Janey, "One sec, I'll _actually_ get the job done unlike someone I know, who's name starts with a 'J' and ends with an 'ack'."

Another glance over your shoulder showed the woman jamming the phone into one of her jacket pockets. Hand quickly coming out of the fabric, not empty like you thought it'd be.

Instead of being empty handed, the woman was brandishing a _fucking buck knife_. She was so close that you could make out the freckles staining her cheeks, the dimples, the definition and volume of the 'x's that told you they weren't drawn on. The eye fixated on you was a vibrant green, the other eye didn't look to be an eye at all. An oddly flat yet chunky mass beneath her eyelids. Just barely audible over her footsteps was a fast paced _tick, tock, tick, tock._

_"I'm gonna cut the fuck outta you."_


	3. 2 - Deep Wounds

Like any reasonable person about to be 'cut the fuck out of'ed, you screamed, _"NO!"_ Finally able to speak, you took full advantage of just simply screaming bloody murder as loud as you humanly could. 

The odd eyed woman cackled once more, "Oh shut it, I'm just gonna slice ya open." Her footsteps right behind yours, the fronts of her boots grazing against the backs of your sneakers. Too close for comfort and too close for you to escape any incoming cuts or stabs. You were trying to move as fast as you could but it didn't seem like it was enough.

You weren't going to shut it, if you were going to die you wanted to people to know what happened. You never liked crazy true crime people after all the harassment and speculation you went through, but you'd really appreciate it if for once they did something good for you. Piece together the events of your murder though phone calls or videos of you running taken by onlookers. Lights in the apartments above started to flicker on to your delight, you hoped they'd get a good picture of your two pursuers, something to get the two arrested for what they'd do to you. 

There was a sudden gust of wind, the back of your bomber shifting with the directional force that ran in a vertical line across your back. A soft ripping sound mixing with the slight tug of the fabric telling you that she just decided to open up your beloved jacket. That or she thankfully missed your flesh. Still, you shrieked at the idea of being sliced. Trying to will yourself to run even faster. 

She just kept on laughing at you, keeping up without a problem while the ground shaking footsteps from a few feet behind didn't let up. You did not want to see what was going to happen when he caught up to you. Then again, he probably could have already. You decided to worry more about the knife wielding crazy-ass looking to have your insides on the outside. 

There was another unseen movement that had the back of your clothing shifting, more quiet tearing. The jacket had been in your wardrobe for a long, long time. Wearing it nearly everyday when it wasn't in the washing machine, Noah sometimes having to coax you out of thing thing for an hour just to wash it. It'd been a comfort item, something to feel safe in, fidget with, buttons to stare at when you didn't know where to place your gaze. To feel and hear it being destroyed wasn't something that made you very happy. It took a few seconds to muster up the balls to point out the obvious in a shrill squeak, "My jacket!"

It was like everything you said was a well constructed joke delivered by an actually funny comedian, because every time you spoke or shrieked she just lost it. It was scary as shit but it just made you think of how much of a freak she was. Who laughs at that kind of thing?

You knew somebody who did once.

The thoughts of the runt that you thought you knew flooded into your head while odd eyed lady kept on losing her fucking mind. Now wasn't the time to think him. It'd been a decade and three days since you last saw him. His memory followed you further into the future than you thought it would. He was a part of your life longer than he'd been out of it. Being there for your developmental years and seeing your dumb prepubescent phases. You couldn't just forget him no matter how much you wanted to. The intimate love shared between two life long friends soured into something for people to try to extort for news sites. Little things bringing back memories, bitterly nostalgic, Jeff would never leave you alone.

You hated it. Her laughter, his footsteps, the vivid memory. The words that she decided to cockily shout at you, "I haven't even cut you for real yet! What'chu screaming about, huh?"

Adrenaline, hate, rage, it allowed you to push out words you'd usually think against saying. More of a thinker than a talker, a schemer when you had time to be but in the moment, you could hardly think. "You're trying to fucking hurt me!"

She snorted as people were showing up in lit windows above, faces you couldn't make out. "If you think that's bad, then _get a load'a this."_

It was quick, you hardly even registered the foreign thing slicing though you. The knife traveled though the jacket, through a t-shirt, through layers of skin. It felt like a hot line, sharply stinging on impact but quickly fizzling out. Adrenaline not letting you feel the full extent of the damage. All you knew was that this crazy fuck just cut you across the back and was cackling about the noise of surprise you let out. 

One thing you could feel for sure was the warm and wet weight of blood starting to seep from the long slit on your back. You couldn't estimate it's depth or it's true length. Cut skin shifting as you ran faster than you thought possible, a sudden sprint burst that had you happily further away from the woman and her gargantuan buddy. 

You knew that no one would come down from the comfort of their shitty apartment to save you. There was comfort in screaming though, a part of thinking that somehow the authorities would get to you faster the louder and more disruptive you were, "Help me!" You knew you were alone in this, the figures in lit windows unable to do anything but watch, "Please!"

Tearing around the corner of a building, you threw your head over your shoulder the _tip, tap, tip, tap_ still close behind. The rhythmic _tick, tock, tick, tock_ , falling in time with her footsteps. You were cursed with her image as she ripped around the corner. Eye lighting up at the sight of you, your terror, your blood. Excitedly animalistic, she growled in a grin filled with grit teeth, "Come'ere!" 

Jack swung around the corner as the woman started to gain on you once more. Catching up ever so slowly, keeping up with the two of you with his terrifying power walk. 

You didn't want to see the stab or slice coming, looking to the empty sidewalk ahead. Wanting to live in ignorant bliss of the two people behind you, but you couldn't forget their presence no matter how much you wanted to. They wouldn't allow it, obnoxiously and shamelessly giving chase. Their earlier taunts boiling your blood but making you feel completely fucking powerless. 

You just wanted to go home. The dinky apartment that was miles and miles away, or was it? You had no idea where you were. Liking to stay on the same routine path, go to the same places, stay in your comfort zone and move through life in the cruise lane. See and talk to the same handful of people. Text back and forth with your internet buddies or stock shelves with Noah.

God, you hoped you didn't end up dead in a dumpster by the end of the night. First of all, you didn't want to die. Secondly, the grief of your sudden disappearance was something that would rip Noah apart. You knew what that was like and even though you hadn't been in his life for thirteen years, four years was a long ass time.

At least you didn't murder anybody. Sometimes you felt like you did though. Not being able to pick up on the little cues you thought you knew. Being hyperfixated on true crime, obsessing over the psychology of it all while being raised right beside a murderer. If you had just picked up on the clues, pieced them together in the moment without the hindsight, you could have prevented that night. Maybe Jeff would have been sent to inpatient, but ultimately no one would be dead or missing. You could visit him and hang out with Liu, help them all get better. But you were a kid, one that didn't pick up on smaller things like that, taking Jeff's oddities at face value as quirks. Him being just like you, different but not bad.

You didn't like the thought of comparing yourself to him anymore.

You weren't going to kill anybody then go missing for years like him. You just might get killed and never be seen again though. Noah didn't deserve to hear that kind of news. He cared about who and what you were, helping you through hard times and trying to do right by you. When you first met and he jabbered about true crime and how interesting he thought it was, you were deeply off put. True crime was something you had a hard time getting into anymore. Comes with the territory of knowing two murderers. But he didn't ask prodding questions, letting you vent about all the things you figured out years down the line, things that deeply rattled you to the core. 

**\----**

_Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. A playground for heaps of information that teachers wanted you to believe was always falsified. Sometimes things could be wrong, but on an article this big you were sure any discrepancy would be quickly caught and corrected. Plenty of links below the paragraphs upon paragraphs of information. More rabbit holes of nittygritty details to jump into and get lost in._

_Leaning over his chair, looking over his shoulder and skimming the article for what felt like the millionth time. Five thirty in the morning, another night of you staying over, holed up in his room. Him wearing the same old outfit of baggy pants and an even baggier hoodie. Looking for a detail you may have missed, something you didn't know. Hungry for every little bit of information on every single case. It was fascinating how someone could do so sickly twisted and vile. All while acting so normal, getting away with slaying after slaying for years._

_"Shit," Jeff marveled as the two of you looked at the extensive lists of films and documentaries made over the years about Jeffery Dohmer, "That's fucking crazy."_

_"Yeah!" It was quite exciting honestly. So many hours of footage to watch, information repeated over and over but some tidbits of unknown facts coming to light._

_He considered something for a moment, scanning the text back and forth, idly tapping his fingers on the wooden desk. "Wait."_

_"Hm?" You smiled at the thought of him asking questions, showing more interest in what you cared about._

_"There's pictures of that shit?" He jutted his head toward the long list of victims, seventeen in total. An extensive amount of killings for one man. Though he didn't get away with it, being jailed and later beaten to death, it was still wildly impressive that one person could take so many lives. Eight of the murders being done in a single year, three in one month. It was just, whoa. Horrid but something your thirteen year old brain was floored and intrigued by._

_"Yep." You may have had a morbid fascination, but gore wasn't something you wanted to look at. There was a disrespect, a degradation toward the dead when it came to gore. Someone died horribly, their photograph taken probably by a forensic specialist or some shit. If things went well, the images of the desecrated corpse wouldn't be spread like wildfire on internet forums or used as a shitty scare tactic. It didn't feel right to look at it. You understood that sometimes authorities would release some of the images to the public but that image used to be a whole person. The image of their death wasn't content for you to eagerly consume. The morbidly intimate voyeurism that came with looking at someones insides wasn't something you wanted to experience. Their killer's mind was interesting but the victims had enough shit done to them already._

_"Whoa," Jeff shuddered in a laugh, "Fucking sick dude."_

_"Yeah, it is pretty sick." You agreed, it was stomach churning stuff._

_He glanced up from the wall of text and to you, lower eyelids crinkling upward as he smiled, "Do you wanna check it out?"_

_"Check what out?" Jeff had already turned back to the computer, mouse rolling up to the search bar._

_"The pictures." The ones he took in the process of dismembering bodies. Spit on the faces of men he said that he loved. Disgusting._

_"Uhm." You sucked your lips into your mouth, rocking your heels back and forth into the carpet. "I dunno."_

_"Come on," He playfully chided, "Don't be such a lil bitch (Y/n)." He wanted to see it, so he was going to see it. Dead heads and torn muscle. You didn't want Jeff to see you as a 'lil bitch'. You wanted his approval. It wouldn't be that bad, you already read image descriptions. The series of events that led to the men's deaths._

_You already had dragged him into your interest with true crime. He was just enthusiastic about sharing an interest so deeply with you. That was all it was. He was just less sensitive to this kind of thing, different. You didn't want him to feel bad or judged for having a separate opinion from yours. He was already degraded on a daily basis, if you continued to say no then maybe he'd feel worse about himself._

_You just wanted what you thought was best for him, shakily nodding your head though he couldn't see you, "Okay."_

_Approval or not, he had already started aggressively typing 'Jeffery Dahmer victim picz' into his search bar. The results were a series of purple links on a white background. He'd been to the sites before, you realized with a frown. The two of you had talked back and forth about the man amongst other murderers. You brushed it off, he was passionate to learn more of your shared interest even in his free time. Had to be._

_Click._

_Your hands were over your eyes after a few seconds of looking. Jeff could look all he liked but you didn't want to subject yourself to that. Stomach churning as the images you'd only caught glimpses of flashed in your brain. It was violently disheartening to see. Reading about it and listening to hour long podcasts was one thing but getting a real look at the damage done was another._

_"It's not that bad you big fucking baby." Jeff scoffed, the wheel of his mouse clicking as he continued to scroll down the page unbothered by the gore._

_It was odd to you. The name he chose for himself. So bland and basic when he could have been called literally anything in the world. The name of a middle aged white guy with male pattern baldness or someone online who was violently unfunny. It made him a lot happier to be called Jeff over his birth name. It took him awhile to land on a name that he said felt right. Going though the names Ted and John before landing on the name that finally stuck. Jeffery._

**\----**

She was faster than you and you knew it. Intentionally flat-tiring you so you would stumble and slow down, arms flailing wildly to keep you balance. All so that she could further get sadistic enjoyment out of your fear. Jack was practically three feet behind the both of you, just watching things go down. Physically imposing while his much shorter counterpart was actually the one who hurt you.

The one who hurt you again. It was another quick slash that had you yelping in surprise, heart feeling like it was going to explode in your chest. Another burst of speed brought on by sheer terror, another vertical cut that stretched across your back. Warmth trickling out of your body and into your clothes. Adrenaline numbing the pain, you couldn't tell how much damage had been done. The worst case scenario being she somehow pierced your organs and severed your spine. But then again, you didn't feel anything jammed inside of you and you weren't suddenly paralyzed.

You were still in one piece, able to move forth. So while you still could run, you were fucking going to.

"Oh man, that looks like it stings." Her footsteps grew closer and the odd ' _tick-tock'_ ing grew louder. You hated the rhythmic sound almost just as much as the wheels of the train squeaking against unlubricated metal. It was nowhere near as loud or overwhelming but it was associated with her, being randomly slashed at and mocked. The train could be a sensory hell at times but this was a different type of torment, one you didn't know if you'd walk out of just fine.

She was just such a fucking gnat, a pest that wouldn't go away. Taunting and not giving you a chance to collect yourself. You couldn't take it, filter dissipating in a moment of thoughtless anger that formulated into words, "No shit!"

"Ohohoho!" Big mistake, it only made her happier, which in turn only served to further piss you off. You felt helpless, in a losing battle, it was embarrassing even though you had not very much experience being chased by murderous crackheads. "Looks like we got a sassy little lassy over here." Amusement and fake adoration in her tone. Taking a moment to reel at the ole timey shit she just spouted at you.

On your ass once more, the front of her boot scraping the back of your sneaker. Trying to trap the sole of the shoe and have you face-plant into the concrete. You were able to avoid it narrowly but it was hardly a comfort with the fact that she was still on top of you. Hot breath on your neck and the horrible _tick, tock, tick, tock,_ was pretty much right behind your ears at this point. It was an annoying unknown, everything just getting shittier and shittier. 

Again. Another cut that traveled though your jacket and t-shirt. Comforting fabric barely hanging on, another thin opening in your back that had you screaming. More lights of apartments above flicking on, more onlookers watching and unable to do anything. It felt voyeuristic, disrespectful even to come and watch somebody get hunted down and possibly murdered in the streets. 

Breath catching in your throat and tears burning your eyes, enamel pins dully clanking together with the dramatic movement of your run. Trying to move faster to no avail, feet throbbing with every harsh impact with the shaking ground. There was nothing else you could do. She wouldn't shut up, she wouldn't stop that horrible sound, she wouldn't stop cutting you, you couldn't from a coherent thought that was anything besides fearful or an unspoken insult that you were seconds away from voicing. The last shred of your better judgement telling you that if you actually pissed her off, she'd stab you for real then you'd be done for. Just keep moving, just keep screaming to entertain. 

The odd eyed freak whooped and hollered, shrill and irritating. You grit your teeth to keep your shit together the best that you could. Your only plan was to keep on running and screaming. The police had to be on the way, you just had to stay alive until they came for you and scared these shitheads off.

"Can't take the heat!" Her voice grated on your ears, "Get out of the kitchen!" 

"We're not in a kitchen!" You hated this dumb bitch but you were also still confusedly terrified, "What does that even mean?!"

"Okay you little shit," Sarcastic happiness told you that you just fucked up, "You think you're funny? Try this on for size."

Did this look like trying on clothes in a mall? There were no sizes to try. "What on for siz- _ACK!"_ The idiom suddenly clicked in your muddied brain when she shallowly slashed you across the back once more. Numb slits of open skin leaking sickening warmth.

"Don't cut her too much," Jack interjected, directly behind the two of you, idly observing, "You're making more work for me for later." A glance up and over your shoulder showed him slouched over the two of you, making you feel puny as the ground shook beneath his feet. 

"Oh please," She scoffed, "You love sewing people back up you little fuckin' freak." You had no idea what the hell they were jabbering on about but you weren't looking forward to find out.

"And you love throwing yourself down stairs and starting fights you can't finish." You couldn't tell if there was amusement or resentment in his flat tone, maybe both. 

You almost smiled in relief at her momentary lull in cackling, whooping, or chattering. It was far from a reprieve though, they were still right behind you, she still had a knife with your blood on it, he could apparently crush a skull in one hand. It was one unsatisfactory fuck of a situation. 

It didn't last long, "Shut up, tall ass."

"Are you going to stop cutting her or what?" He ignored her shallow dig at him, instead opting to redirect her full attention back to you. 

Swift movement, a rush of air, another cut swiped shallowly through your back. "How's this for an answer, shithead?" She spitefully barked.

All the while you were screaming, _"CAN SOMEBODY FUCKING HELP?"_

You didn't like to bother people, just some time earlier you were terrified at the thought of saying thank you to your intimidating coworkers. Funny how being in a life threatening situation cold make you willing to face your fears of being a mild nuisance to the public. So scared that you added a 'fucking' in there for a little bit of spice. 

As a response to your call for aid, another shallow slash was laid across your back. 

There was an elongated sigh from the man, "Are you done?" 

Your entire middle and lower back felt disgustingly warm. A slight sting starting to crawl through the adrenaline. You couldn't count the amount of times you'd been cut at this point. Then she tried to add another slash to the count, a scrape across your upper back that only lightly tore at your bomber. 

"Shit, fuck," She huffed at not extracting another shriek from you, "Not done, gimme a sec."

"Cut the shit! Oh my god!" You wheezed in a nervous laugh, their words only further discomforting and disturbing you. Trying to relieve the stressful tension you felt in your chest.

"Ahaha, cut." The woman dumbly laughed at the unintentional pun. You clamped your mouth shut, not wanting to laugh along with her even though you had an idea she was more laughing at you than with you. 

_Click, clack, click, clack._

Distant, quiet, you couldn't discern the direction. You didn't get time to further try and strain your ears when another cut was haphazardly thrown across your shoulders. This time sinking passed the fabric of your jacket and lightly cutting though your flesh.

"Are you done now?" He asked, speaking to the dangerous woman like she was an impatient toddler.

"Can it already." The tinge of angry annoyance only set you on more of an edge. Feeling like she was going to take that anger out on you.

"No." You were getting feel for this Jack fucker, he was annoying and dryly spiteful. 

"Whatever," The dismissal a clear signified that she didn't have anything constructive to say, "Just don't go all Hannibal Lector on her ass later, okay fatass? Know you can't fucking resist a squirmin' sack'a meat, Jackieboy!"

Their biting comments back and forth didn't add up in your muddied brain, struggling for oxygen after running for so long and covered in sweat and your own blood. The only thing that made complete sense to you was the sound of distant sirens. That had to be for you and not some other random instance of violence. All you had to do was to figure out where it was coming from and head towards it. Hoping that they'd fuck off now at the sound of your incoming salvation. 

They didn't peel away, continuing their conversation like the wailing wasn't even there. "I can't go _'all Hannibal Lector'_ " You could just imagine his annoyed eye roll in your minds eye as he repeated her words with a condescending tone, "On anybody when I am no longer a human." Jack corrected, seeming very cool headed and like he wouldn't take bait for arguments so easily. Perhaps he was like you, a know-it-all who hated being wrong about certain things.

_Click, clack, click, clack_.

Louder, closer, both the sounds of sirens and the distinct noise of running in heels. There were no blue or red lights in your view, they weren't close. They had to have been closing in though, a string of police calls pointing toward the sidewalk you ran down. Concerned and groggy bystanders telling dispatch which direction you decided to go. 

"Okay, cannibal." Immaturity evident in her words. 

_Click, clack, click, clack_.

Where was it coming from? You swiveled your head about trying to look for an approaching mass. Hot breath still grazing the back of your neck and platform boots still shaking the concrete. No more cuts being lazily thrown your way, not being taunted as often, they heard her too. Gearing up for her appearance perhaps. Something terrible planned or just getting serious as sirens grew ever louder.

_"Hey (Y/n)."_ Odd eye asked, a voice filed with malintent mixed with the undertone of _tick, tock, tick, tock._

Hate, anger, shame, you felt it weigh heavy on your insides but you were trying to keep it together. Clam up and focus on getting to the police. If you didn't look at her then you wouldn't have to deal with whatever nasty surprise she had in mind for you,

"(Y/n)!" Your name was rolled in a playful singsong off of her tongue. Swallowing a lump in your throat, you kept on moving forward without dignifying her calling of your name with any sort of response. "Look at me when I'm fucking talking you." The sadistic glee still shone through the thick layer of annoyance, switching up on a dime. 

_Click, clack, click, clack._

You couldn't see her but the sound of her impending appearance had you short of breath. On the upside, you could see blue and red lights shining off the side of a brick building a couple hundred feet ahead. If you didn't look at it, the problems nipping at your heels, maybe they couldn't get you. But you knew that childish logic brought childish results.

Fronts of boots scraping at the backs of your sneakers, flat tiring you once more with annoying intention. _"Look at me."_ The rage thinly veiled behind a cruel chuckle, throwing you mixed signal after mixed signal. Still, you didn't look over your shoulder and you still didn't receive another slash to the back.

A much more smooth voice called, "(Y/n)." Sound itself acting like a hand that turned your head.

"Oh! So you're gonna look at him but not me?" Jealousy was it? Or did she feel inferiority that her shady demands weren't followed? All he had to do was speak and you were looking up to the covering of black and blue. What was even the point of getting you to look at her? Maybe a show of power and intimidation. You didn't really have the mental capacity to process your assaulter's inferiority complex.

You weren't going to say it but you found her more terrifying in the moment. She was the louder one, irritating your sensitive ears beyond belief. She was the one wielding a knife, using it teasingly when she was obviously capable of much more. The both of you knew she could have jammed it in between your ribs by now but she hadn't. You may have been scared out of your mind but you knew how to put two and two together. Jack implying that you were not to be hurt too badly, he was going to do something to you. Take you away and then kill you, maybe torture you first.

"Ugh," Odd eye spat with disgust and a curl of her lip, "You have shit taste."

There it was, you should have seen it coming, the knife digging fast across your back. Scraping over already open wounds, a disorganized mess of slits adorning your back, wet shredded cloth clinging to your skin. Your voice was growing hoarse but you still shrieked at the cut. Whipping your head forward, the association with getting cut being ingrained with talking to her or looking in her general direction. If you just looked dead ahead then maybe it'd stop, you'd be able to reach help and then there'd be nothing they could do. 

_Click, clack, click, clack._

Your view of the brick building that the red red and blue shone off of was blocked by her imposing figure. Breath catching in your throat as you got another look at her bright white mask that deeply contrasted all the black she wore. Bathed in the sickly yellow light of a kitchy souvenir shop's storefront. Bursting forth from a narrow alleyway, not stopping her movement for a second. Your eyes focused on the knowing smile painted on her overly feminine mask as she twisted her torso and reeled a fist back. 

It all happened so fast, you didn't have the time to react, slow down, stop, or just get out of the way. You were allowed a split second of reaction time, lips forming into a surprised 'O' and eyes widening as her gloved fist took up most of your vision.

Then you were gone. 

No pain, no sight, just a vague idea that you were moving. Body twisting and falling onto its side, you couldn't move of your own volition. You could only process the sounds of the world around you. 

"Janey!" The voice sounded thrilled but distant, like you were listening from underwater, accompanied by the rhythmic sound akin to a clock, "Good to see ya, but fuck! Why'd you have to knock her out like that? I was havin' a good time." A rollercoaster of emotions from excitement to disappointment.

Low, huffy, muffled, and most of all pissy, "We need to get going. The police are on their way. Thanks to _somebody."_

"Don't look at me like that." The odd echo of wrongness in the third voice only seemed to be accentuated in your state of limbo.

"You're fucking blind how can you tell she's looking at 'cha?" The floor below was no longer supporting your limp body, on both of your sides there was a force that lifted you higher and higher.

"I'm not _blind blind."_ The voice closest to you insisted as you were turned. "And I don't need to be able to see in order to know that you're blaming me."

"Yes," The smoothly feminine voice confirmed, "I am." Something was pressing into your stomach, supporting your weight while everything else hung limply around it. 

"Told you that you were in trouble, smart guy." A snotty retort made beside your limp head. Limbs lazily swaying to and fro as the thing that supported you moved forth.

"You shouldn't have chased her like that." The feminine voice chided sternly.

"But you said that I could rough 'er up a bit." Gruffly arguing while you were transported of somebody else's volition.

"Only if she gave you trouble." The supposed leader corrected.

"You also said that I could have _some_ fun." A fucked up and weird argument that you didn't understand the context behind. 

This voice seemed to rumble through your skin, louder than it had ever been but not because it had been raised; it was the close proximity. "You're the one who cut her and let her scream like that. You could have knocked her out sooner than that." The sirens were close, a piercing and horrible sound, "It's on you, Natalie."

From a whine to a dangerously hateful growl, _"Don't call me that."_

The voices stopped but the _click, clack, tip, tap, tick, tock,_ **THUMP, THUMP,** did not. Nothing but an unthinking body that could do nothing but hear and sway on the thing that you'd been propped up on. The shrill screech dissipating as time ticked on by, nothing but you and the footfalls.

"I can carry her." More of a demand than a request.

"If you wanted to carry her you would have knocked her out." The voice that seemed to shake your very bones deadpanned. 

"You could'a knocked her out _waaaay earlier_ too, douchebag." An argument beginning to arise, at least it was something to listen in on, something to try to ground yourself to, not letting yourself slip fully into unconciousness, "But _nooo,_ you wanted to have some fun too. Don't get all fucking high and mighty on me when you did the same thing!"

"I don't like running."

_Jingle, jingle._

 _"_ Stop wasting your energy on petty arguments," The feminine voice chimed with a twinge of annoyance, "Put her in and lets go."

You were carried a few more feet before a soft ' _ker-thunk'_ sounded, body suddenly being lowered. Once more you were laying sideways on a floor, this one less cold and rough than the last. 

The voice above you, the one with a deep wrongness to it, the one that didn't like to run, responded with a muted laugh, "Yeah, _okay Jane."_

_**Clunk.**_

The space around you shuddered, voices growing muffled. A sputtering growl, movement. Your sense of direction, space, and being, started to fade.

**\----**

_It'd been a little over eight years since you last saw him. Eight years to the day since he killed his parents. This time of year was always hard, where memories of his smiling face violently resurfaced and haunted you for days on end._

_You accepted what he did as fact a long, long time ago. Forcing yourself to stop defending him in your head. You'd read through it in online articles. Never being able to completely get though them without wanting to vomit, having to stop yourself from continuing. Able to read but not able to look at the detailed photographs._

_Fear that someone you were so close to was sick, he could have fucking killed you. Rage that he'd do something so extreme, violently rip himself out of your life and leave you without a friend to call up. Shame that you valiantly defended him to the other kids at school for so long. They were removed from the situation, able to cast a simple judgement while you were in too deep. Feelings warm yet mixed, hurt as hell._

_You were going to do it this time. You were going to look. You weren't going to cover your eyes and deny the ugly reality. Sitting in your room, recently moved in, a cheap lawn chair for a computer seat, a cardboard box for a desk. You laughed about the setup at first but you weren't laughing anymore, this wasn't something kinda quirky brought on by the fact that you could hardly afford furniture. This was a blue link that your mouse hovered over hesitantly._

_His hands were on your shoulder as you let out shuddering breaths. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."_

_You didn't want to look, you already knew damn well what he'd done. It was about a sense of closure. Trying to snip off the last remaining emotional attachment to the boy. Childhood friendships fizzled out all the time, sometimes dramatically, sometimes unimpressively, but his disappearance was so much more than a petty argument over some cute girl. He fucking killed his parents and broke his older brother who did nothing but try to protect him. Yet you still cared about him and looked back on sweet memories with red tinted glasses, every little thing overanaylsed over and over. Hindsight pointing out red flags that you couldn't pick up on. Someone so sick and vile being so close to you, not even trying to hide the fact that he was fucked up._

_Deep down though, you still loved him. He was like a brother to you, a crude, pushy, brother. You hated it. The fact that he made you feel so bad for him, the fact that you could understand why he did what he did, somewhat. You just wanted to blindly hate him. See the images of what he did, see that he wasn't a good person. That he had no right to the fondness you had in your heart for him. You were going to further dunk memories into bitterness, tint them so terribly that you couldn't possibly still feel happy when you thought about sitting under the willow tree. Making up constellations, saying that they looked like two dudes slapping their dicks together in a fight to the death._

_"I'm not a lil bitch." You echoed his words spoken long ago, responding to a fucked up kid who was probably long dead. The burns that covered his body may have partially healed over, but he was still a thirteen year old that was newly blind in one eye. High off adrenaline, probably running off into the woods and starving to death. That or killing himself, remorse catching up to him. No body was ever found, same with Liu. The whole family butchered or decomposed in the woods somewhere._

_He didn't tell you what happened in full detail. Only texting back little messages, sounding like shit over the phone. Never staying on for more than a minute or so. You were given vague details that made your teenage head spin. Fighting, Liu being taken away, him being in the hospital, a single text on the day that he came home. It took a long time for you to delete his number off your phone, staying up late at night looking at the last few messages. Weird at the time but ominous after everything he did._

_You thought that once he got better he'd fully explain but he never did. So you had to piece the two weeks together through articles and witnesses saying they saw this and that._

_Obviously not knowing the context of your words, Noah responded, "It's okay to not want to look at it."_

_You didn't know what to say to him so instead you just clicked on the link. 'Woods family crime scene photos [WARNING: Graphic]'_

_The page loaded quickly, not giving you time to speculate on what you were going to see. Though you already had a good idea from all the things you'd read. It started with a wall of black text detailing the Woods family, it's members, the order of events. You knew it well so you scrolled down the website with your laptop's track-pad._

_It wan't all dead bodies. First up was Mister and Missus Woods master bathroom, coagulating blood on the white counter-top. Thin streaks of the substance staining the bowl of the sink, a light mist on the mirror. You read that the blood was found to be a match with Jeff's. Some sort of self harm. Internet sleuths liked to speculate that it was on the face because of how high it was on the mirror._

_At your pausing, Noah's grip on your shoulders firmed up. Grounding you in reality when you thought that maybe you didn't want to really do this. He was afraid for your reactions, being honest that he didn't think that this was a good idea but he went along with it anyway. Wanting to help you through stale grief._

_He knew that he couldn't talk you out of this. You'd been hyping yourself up for this the past two days. Telling Noah that when it came down to it, once you got to the pictures you wanted his upmost support to keep going even if it was sick shit. He didn't really know what to say other than, "It's alright. You can do it."_

_So you did._

_Scrolling down to the series of photos that showed off the deceased body of Matthew Woods. Laying on his back in his pajamas, eyes shut but mouth agape. Four fat slits in his chest, dark red staining his clothes and expensive bed sheets. Honestly, it was a lot tamer then all the shit Jeff used to look at. You shook away the memory, staring at his father's corpse. The things you'd read about his death were somewhat oddly comforting. The deep wound that was smack dab in the center of his stomach sent him into almost immediate shock. He didn't suffer long._

_Though part of you still sided with Jeff on everything. Matt was a terrible man, part of you thought he deserved a lot worse, to suffer longer, bleed more._

_Pushing the morbid thoughts away, you swallowed a lump in your throat. Feelings still mixed. Try as you might but you couldn't make things as black and white as you wanted them to be. Yet you still tried, Noah echoing his earlier words, "It's alright." Clearly not wanting to look at this sort of thing either but he was here for you one hundred percent. He always said that others peoples emotional pain affected him incredibly deeply, saying that he could somewhat feel what you were feeling, that he'd do anything to help you._

_The next series of photos were much, much worse. Shelia Woods lay next to her husband, chest completely caved in. Jeff had started with his father, experimenting with the thrill of the kill and once he was done with him, he moved onto his mother. A crime not just of passion but mania as well, to stab someone so forcefully and so many times that her chest sunk in on itself. Looking like a deflated balloon stuffed with chunks of pink and red gore. You couldn't tell what was what. She suffered worse than her husband, much worse. Face caked in blood but tears she shed cut through the red sea that was her cheeks like Mosses._

_You scrolled past her photo set the quickest. Head reeling and stomach churning. You knew the kid that did all of that, you knew those people. Blood on the bathroom floor and on the ceiling above Sheila's body. It was hatefully violent. Jarring._

_The worst photo that was completely corpseless was Liu's twin sized bed. Free of the boy's body as the police were called and he was quickly hauled off to the hospital where he quickly followed in his younger brother's footsteps. It was a loose outline of his lanky teenage body. Blood stains around where his head had been, dark brown where his torso used to be, arms, legs. Jeff didn't have any fucking mercy when it came to the brother that loved him so. Ripping him to shreds._

_At the bottom of the page you didn't feel a weight lift from your chest or a moral high ground overtake you. The pictures didn't delete the sweet memories of all the times you laughed with him. A part of you still cared for him like the big fucking baby that you were._

_"Hey." You glanced up to Noah as your lip started to quiver, feeling more than just pathetic, "I'm proud of you."_

_"Why?" It came out a croak, unable to make out his expression from the tears blurring your vision._

_"Because that was the first time you got through all of that. I know it was hard." Though you couldn't forget or make peace with murderous friends of the past, you had the new ones in the present to be there. Though it was a big and scary change, you were glad that you moved in with Noah._


	4. 3 - Who, What, Where?

_He always seemed to find a way to make you worry. Wearing a thick hoodie in the middle of July, on a sunny day, outside. He completely refused to take it off. Explaining to you, each time with increasing annoyance, that he didn't want to. You wanted to understand the kind of shit he was going through but the thing was, he wasn't very astute at explaining dysphoria to you. There was a lapse in communication that led to you wanting to nag him to change all day and him wanting you to just piss off already._

_Liu stepped in and talked him into rolling the over sized sleeves all the way up. Looking like pool floaties on his upper arms. That seemed to be enough for Liu, as long as Jeff stayed in the shade and didn't go running around threatening to 'beat the complete shit' out of anyone who so much as looked at him for too long._

_The thing about Jeff was that he did whatever he wanted to and if you weren't constantly on top of him, he'd do dumb shit. You supposed that was why Liu tagged along at first, but there was the underlying reason that Liu loved to be around his younger brother. Tagging along with him in school, sitting in their few shared classes. Intentionally getting lower grades in math and English just to sit next to and help his brother. viciously telling people off whenever people spread rumors and him, how he was predatory or ungodly. He'd follow Jeff to the ends of the earth. Jeff didn't seem to care, but you knew under his gruff facade the boy appreciated and loved his brother._

_They had a nice house, completely air conditioned and comfy. But the house didn't have good people in it. Their parents had brought their uppity friends over, staring down their sons with eyes promising some sort of punishment if they so much as talked to any one of their friends or them for that matter. It wasn't that they were kicked out for the day, it was that they didn't want to risk somehow doing something wrong in their parents eyes. Getting shit that they didn't feel like getting._

_Jeff normally fought them on every little thing but you felt it, he was tired. Mentally exhausted and willing to let Liu drag him out of the house, phoning you in the process. Like the good little friend you were, you dropped everything and came running even in ninety degree heat. Bounding up the hot blacktop and meeting them at the mid-point in their steep driveway._

_The only plan you had for the early afternoon was to sit under the willow tree and complain about the what you subjected yourself to. There was also continuing to nag Jeff, "Stop picking at that."_

_Jeff had a terrible habit of viciously picking at little imperfections in his skin and turning them into large, nasty, scabs. Then he'd keep on picking until Liu forced him to stop. Keeping an eye on the wound's healing process and slapping Jeff's hand away if he was going to start itching the reddened skin. Ever since he got his Supprelin implant in his upper arm, he'd been scratching at the bump just under his skin. Not trying to get it out obviously, you felt that it was just a weird compulsion to pick at even the slightest imperfection._

_"But it itches." He argued in a huff, not slowing his scratching whatsoever._

_"You're going to get a scar if you keep that up." Liu sided with you, all for Jeff's health and wellness._

_His younger brother scoffed, "You pick at shit way worse then I do!"_

_It was true, Liu's exposed arms were covered in spots sightly darker then his pasty skin tone. Liu never left scabs alone, skin healing unevenly and jaggedly. His forehead donned a good bit of ache, which was normal for a teenager, but he never stopped picking at the pimples. Turning them into angry red dots that healed over into ovals of darkened flesh._

_"Yes and?" Liu argued, the three of you making a beeline for the shade of the willow tree, "We're talking about you not me."_

_"Well-" Just as Jeff began you tripped over your own feet, yelping in surprise as you came down the pavement hard and fast._

_The impact was a stinging scrape on the balls of your palms and knees. Hissing, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes as you threw yourself onto your ass. Grimacing and looking to the pink tinged (s/c) flesh, pinpricks of red seeping through unseen cracks. Small bits of gray pavement loosely jammed into you. You instantly linked the pain to what a murder victim would feel, hyperfixted thirteen year old brain going crazy while it mulled over thoughts such as; okay, this blows but this is one hundred times better than what it feels like to get your hands cut off, right?_

_"(Y/n), are you alright?" You looked up from your palms, getting a glance at your reddened knees and up to Liu._

_"Oh man! Driveway got you good, huh?" Jeff marveled with laugh as the throbbing pain started to completely set in._

_"Jeff," Liu softly scolded, "She's hurt." He wasn't going to tell Jeff how to feel, but Liu was a lot more in touch empathetic than his brother was. Seeing clearly how you frowned and sucked in your lips._

_"So?" The boy stopped picking at the bump in his arm, attention completely on your shaking hands. He wasn't all playfully abrasive though, asking, "You're fine aren't ya, (Y/n)?"_

_It hurt a lot, hot pulsating pain and the sight of your own blood wasn't a very fun feeling. You didn't want him to think that you were a wimp though, always looking down at classmates for crying on the playground in elementary school or in gym class in middle school._

_"I'm fine." You sniffled, taking in a shuddering breath._

_Jeff looked mildly taken aback, pointing a bony finger at you, "I know you're about to cry, you big baby."_

_Despite trying to hide the fact that you were in pain, he saw right through you. Mild agony and Jeff's disapproval having you looking back to the pavement, simply stating, "It hurts."_

_Jeff huffed condescendingly, "What do you want me to do about it? Kiss it better?"_

_"If you'd think that'd help." You didn't quite catch the insult, looking for comfort more than being degraded and treated like a child._

_"Oh! Uhm." From strong and rude to stammering and soft. You glanced up to the boys, Liu hardly hiding a smile with a hand over his mouth. Jeff on the other hand started to fidget with his shoulder length hair, lightly tugging at a handful of strands whilst looking away. You didn't quite get why his demeanor shifted so suddenly. Had you said something wrong?_

_"Are you okay?" You shifted the attention to him, his cheeks and ears a bright red. Not surprising, it was a hot day._

_"Yeah Jeff," Liu chortled, lightly elbowing his brother, "You okay?"_

_"I'm fine." Jeff stepped away from his brothers touch, forcing himself to look back to you. Kneeling down onto the hot pavement, trying to brush the situation off with a fake coolness. "Uhm, are you?"_

_"I think so?" The childish shame of earlier washed away, he cared and it was okay that you showed that you were hurt. Acting like he didn't 'like all that mushy feelings shit' but he deep down he was a sweet boy. Though layers upon layers of abrasiveness and crude jokes. "Should I clean it, or?"_

_Jeff looked up to his older brother for guidance, the one who always had a bandage or frozen bag of vegetables to hold out whenever Jeff got himself fucked up._

_"The fuck you looking at?" The boy hissed in a accusatory manner._

_Usually he'd be ready to offer some advice, but right now he watching the two of you with a stupid smile, a spark of undeniable warmth in his eyes. With adoration, brotherly love, complete wholesomeness, Liu spoke, "You're a good kid, Jeff."_

_The big bad Jeffery Woods thrived off of his reputation at school of being a disruptive pissant. Getting in trouble with teachers and threatening students way bigger than him, getting his ass kicked a good number of times. Scoffing, "I'm not fucking good-"_

**\----**

"I'm not fucking good at tying knots. If mine are so bad then you do it, lard ass." A voice sounding so close yet so far away hissed. 

Fading back into existence was a confusion experience. Back dully and hotly throbbing, you thought it was the left side of your face that was so tenderly sore. There was something else, it wasn't the worst feeling, but it was one of the oddest. A tightness around your midsection, a pressure on your back. Arms being moved around for you.

"I told you that I was going to do it in the first place." The strange voice with it's uncanny wrongness, deadpanned. Consciousness crawling forth, making you aware of the shifting around your wrists. The sound of leather lowly groaning and thick fabric shifting.

"And I told you that uh-" The _tick, tock, tick, tock_ further made you all the more aware of your own body, feet flat on the floor. "-That you're fucking stupid."

"Uh-huh." Tugging, pulling, tightening. Yet you didn't feel the surface of the thing holding your wrists together. The soft lining of your bomber made the tightness that traveled up your wrists to your forearms less uncomfortable. The same sensation around your midsection, a presence that wasn't anywhere on your heavy legs. 

"When is she going to be awake?" Feminine, alluring, impatient. 

"Depends." The movement stopped as you started to feel more of yourself. Pain slowly forcing you to be more aware of it. The presence on your back started to become irritating. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Quieter and louder, _click, clack, click, clack,_ an even pace.

A deadpan that seemed to shake your body through it's proximity, "It means that you knocked her out after Natalie-"

_"Don't call me that."_ The clear distaste was accompanied by that accursed ' _tick, tock_ 'ing.

"Nat." An annoyed correction made in the effort to be efficient, despite the obvious distaste that rolled from nickname, "Inflicted multiple stab wounds to her back."

"Those were _hardly_ stab wounds." The guff voice accused as rational thoughts made themselves present in your mind, "You're just being over dramatic."

"I'm a doctor." Was that Jack? He corrected the one dubbed Natalie or as she seemed to prefer, Nat.

"Then where's your fancy lil fucking medical degree, huh?" She antagonistically jabbed as your fingers twitched and eyes attempted to crack themselves open.

"I can barely hear myself think over you two," At the sound of the masked woman, Janey was it? You tensed while your eyes snapped open, "Quiet down." 

You were met with the sight of your clothed wrists intricately bound in thick ropes, sitting limply in your lap. Thick bindings matching the ones on your wrists were found around your upper stomach. Two ununsed armrests at your side, thin and white. Was that plastic? Wait, that didn't matter because you were pretty sure that you were tied up.

Head snapping up with a gasp, you were met with the sight of them. Your eyes first falling upon her, odd eye, somewhat squatting in front of your seat, rising to her feet with your stirring. It felt like time slowed down at you looked at her fucked up face. Being so close and not running for your life allowing you to focus on the pupil-less eye. Eyelids stretched, making the other eye seem much larger. Something just below the surface of her lids that gave her eye socket an oddly chunky look, tinged red with irritation. An off white flat surface with short black lines decorating it all around. Two of the lines sat in the center, the shorter one moving mechanically, _tick, tock, tick, tock._

_Is that a clock?_

The next one was to your right, a huge mass of black that was much shorter than the last time you saw it. Then it, he, moved. Leather garments groaning as he rose to his feet, dark blue, ovals of black, and the ever shifting substance on fake cheeks growing further and further away as he rose. From completely hunched over to towering over you, imposing and quiet.

Between the images of the other two stood her. The distinct sound of heels ceasing with her movement, turning to you. Fake face still on, overly feminine with a knowing smile. Black lips unmoving as she spoke, _"You."_

It hit you like a speeding truck, her odd approach in the subway. A narrow escape, him showing up. The comfort of Noah disappearing as you ran for your life. Clock eye chick chasing you down, swinging her blade viciously at you, tearing at your precious jacket. Now you were here, tied to a chair.

Where were you?

Completely ignoring her call to you, mind instantly jumping from idea to idea. Head whipping about to try to find an escape while you struggled against your restraints. Obnoxiously pink carpet torn up to reveal gray concrete. Walls a pinkish-tan, rips and tears revealing off-white drywall. Broken glass shining in the natural light on the ground, sitting below what had to have been display cases in days long passed. Some tidbits of purple and green jewelry hanging from black hooks. The worst things of all were the yellow pill looking fuckers with eyes that stared back at you, wearing those stupid fucking overalls. 

You tore your eyes away from theirs, cold and lifeless. Heart pounding, breaths shortening, throat tightening, bindings seeming to constrict you. No matter how you moved or where you looked, you couldn't find a single silver lining. People only wake up in places like this, tied to chairs, and surrounded by weird people, in badly produced horror movies. If media was anything to go by then you'd be dead in ten minutes or perhaps ten days if they were _really_ sadistic. 

"Jeez lady," Clock eye, Natalie, huffed in a chuckle, "Calm your ass down."

This was it. This was it. This was it.

Panic, fear, and dread having you scream out ignoring her, " _AM I IN A CLAIRE'S?"_

You instantly regretted shouting something so tactless, that wasn't going to help. You should just calm down but you couldn't. Help, you needed help. To get that you had to scream but was that a good idea? Would they pull your teeth out and chop off your tongue if you were too loud? You couldn't stop overthinking every little thing, eyes only able to focus on one thing, heels anxiously rocking back and forth as you tried to breath.

"Damn," Natalie marveled, "She's freaking the fuck out, huh?"

Disregarding her companions comment over your clear panic attack, the masked woman approached. A gloved hand placing itself on Natalie's shoulder to push her to the side. The woman was gladly moved away by her, now towering over your sitting form. Lifeless eyes boring into you, not letting the moment settle before she started coldly barking at you, "You're _somewhere._ It doesn't matter where, because you're not going anywhere until _I_ say you can." Did that mean that freedom was in your future? Or was she fucking with you? You couldn't tell, having to look away from the eyes of blackness and to your lap. _"Got that?"_

Her voice had a weightiness to it, commanding, a presence you couldn't just ignore. It'd be an understatement to say that you were deeply intimidated by her. You felt like you were going to pass out again, opening and closing your mouth that was drier then the Sahara desert. Unable to stop the painful pit in your stomach from twisting and turning. Unable to stop the dangerous thumping of your heart, body feeling heavy, the edges of your vision started to blacken and blur. 

Your back stung, your cheek was tender, and now your (h/l) locks were being crudely wrapped around her small but strong fist and yanked upwards. Neck stretching and head lifting, eyes shooting up to the black velvet that shrouded the arm of the woman who decided to manhandle you. Following the limb upwards, past gnarled skin and back up to the fake face of black and white. The blurriness around the edges of your vision being forced away because she willed it.

She was impatient but willing to wait just long enough for that split second of eye contact for her to lowly ask, " _Do you understand me?_ "

Still reeling from waking up in a Claire's tied to a chair and being stared down by three maniacs, you were having a hard time constructing sentences. Only muttering, "Uhm, uh, uuuh."

Shut down. Just be quiet and let them do whatever til they let you go. Don't shut up. Ramble so they get so distracted that they forget to torture you. You didn't know what to do. Having experienced trials and tribulations before, but this was a different kind of trouble that you weren't too well versed in. 

Your hair wasn't released, instead her grip tightened. Pulling harshly on the roots of your hair, making you grimace and look to her pleadingly, tears blurring your vision. Trying to say something but you didn't know what the fuck to say to her. Simple answers could work, just smile and nod and you'd be fine. Except you weren't going to smile, she might see that as you spiting her, try and stay cool. 

The nod was quick, hardly moving your head. Focusing your gaze on her nose, looking into the pools of black was discomforting, even if they weren't real eyes you still knew what was under them. Using coping mechanisms you'd learned throughout life to ground yourself, even though it didn't immediately calm you down. Feeling like you had to look at her masked face in the first place was a weight upon your shoulders you wanted to be free from. She seemed the type to demand respect, pulling your hair like this in order to get you to answer her. There's definitely more extreme things to do in order to get attention, but still. You didn't want to see how far this crazy ass would go for an answer, just comply and try to figure out what to do.

"Good." It was less of a compliment and more of a confirmation of an open line of communication. "Now, where's Jeff?"

Though the though of talking to her was terrifying, you were able to force out the sound _, "Huh?"_

Fear gripping tight at your insides, if she was looking for a Jeff you couldn't help her. Your small group of friends didn't have a Jeff, none of your co-workers were named Jeff either. If you couldn't be of use to her then maybe she'd slit your throat.

Heart still going crazy, breaths still short, even more confused, thinking they were even crazier by the second. You took in a long breath as she paused, grip not tightening or loosening. Exhaling quickly, the next inhale slightly elongated. Trying to calm yourself down when no one here was going to count to three and breathe with you. 

As you were going to take your fourth long breath, she finally decided to speak, " _Jeffery Woods_ , where is he?

You stopped breathing at the mention of his name. It wasn't just because your bonkers kidnapper said his name, you always got weird when you heard his name. Thinking to times good and bad, all tinted in varying degrees of gray. But hearing her growl the name with such hateful conviction made your heart skip a beat, not in the way quirky romcom protagonists describe it as. It was a shitty feeling. 

Again, you didn't exactly know what to say in response. So you continued your breathing exercise, shakier than before, but trying to just think. Your first conclusion was that she was some true crime obsessed freak. Some crazy podcaster who's emails you ignored so she called up her dysfunctional buddies to come and kidnap you. Maybe a part of the group of theorists who speculated that he was still out there, no body being found used as the main piece of evidence. 

The thing about the Woods family was that they were a popular case. Looked into by every crime analysis YouTube channel, a long wiki page, the true crime community disgustingly obsessing over Matt and Shelia's Facebook pages. Making little edits with the photos of the young boys, hearts and pink filters. Thinking that Jeff was completely sympathetic and utterly adorable. It was sickening. 

There was just something about a thirteen year old who seemed to have whatever he wanted brutally murdering his parents and then going after his brother that got people going. Said brother surviving the brutal attack and killing a nurse, the crime caught on camera. Family friends acting sympathetic on television, adults who should have taken accountability or helped the boys years ago, finally admitting that Matt and Shelia were awful people much too late. Knowing the whole time and dancing around the fact that they didn't speak up or simply didn't give a shit. You refused to make any sort of comments to the media about it. No interviews about your experience growing up with a murderer, no emails answered with anything but demands for them to leave you alone, no random phone calls picked up. You tried to distance yourself from it as much as you could but that didn't seem to work as now you were here.

It was painted into a mysterious case about the affects of abuse on the young mind and how far brotherly love could stretch and twist. 

Not responding, lost in thought, the woman pulled you back into reality, "(Y/n)." Her firm use of your name sent a chill down your spine, simple yet threatening. "Tell me what you know or Natalie will hurt you."

You looked to the clock eyed woman to her side, instead of correcting the curvy woman, she flourished a knife from either pocket. Fucking duel wielding, flipping and spinning the blades in her hands like she thought it was cool. You held your tongue, not wanting to die for voicing that she looked ridiculous doing her little party tricks. As dumb as it was, she could still maim you. Dimples sinking into her freckled cheeks as she grinned at you. Your back throbbed at the sight of now clean iron.

Now wasn't the time get clam up, it was scary but you had to talk or you just might be gutted. If she wanted to know where Jeffery Woods was, then you'd tell her. "He's probably dead."

"He's not." She only got crazier by the minute, completely convinced of every little thing that she said. "And you," She tugged lightly on your hair once more while her other hand pointed and prodded at your chest, "Might know where he is."

Honesty is the best policy as they say, "I don't know where he is." 

It was simple, the truth. 

You didn't understand what was going on here. Mostly with their getup. Natalie had a working clock in her eye. That thing has to be wound up or battery powered, it can't just keep going all the time. It was all so real, the way her stretched eyelid twitched and squinted whenever her normal eye blinked. In your head, there was no fucking way someone could put a clock in their eye. There's no reasonable explanation for it as well at the x's that shifted with every smile and word spoken. It had to be some sort of trick that she did with special effects makeup.

Jack was the tallest person you'd ever seen. What skin you could see was blue-gray and the blacked out eye holes in his mask leaked a thick substance nonstop. People could have conditions to be that tall and he did say he had a skin condition. As for the leaking he must have had some sort of tube feeding the liquid from somewhere under his massive coat. His skin could just be makeup too. If they were all nuts enough to kidnap you over a dead kid, they were nuts enough to get dressed up for the job.

Janey or you think you heard her be referred to as Jane was the most normal looking. Somehow. She was also the most humanly believable. While Natalie was trying to pull of a look of extreme body modifications and Jack was going gray, she just wore a creepy mask. Shoulders and legs out for you to see, some of her skin was shifted and uneven, clearly scarred. That could be real, the real deal and not weird costume shit. Or she could just be really good at makeup. 

It all added up to one thing, they were all crazy, true crime obsessed cosplayers. Playing characters you'd never heard of. 

"Hmm," Natalie hummed, taking a threatening step closer, idly observing how stainless her blades were, "Sounds like something that someone who knows where Jeff is and doesn't want to rat him out would say."

Desperation evident in your tone, you continued to tell the truth, "I think that he's dead. I- I-"

"You what?" Jane was getting impatient, pissy with the fact that you couldn't lead her to Jeff.

"I haven't seen him in ten years," You began to ramble, throwing word salad at them as a last defense. Telling them everything you knew about Jeff's whereabouts with nothing to hide or fight for but your life. "I never thought that he'd do what he did. Sure, he was a weird kid but isn't everybody? Ahahaha." Your laugh was jittery, nervous, "Last time I was in contact with him was before he did _that._ It was just me asking how he was doing, ya'know? He said something along the lines of him being fine which in hindsight, he wasn't fine if he _ya'know."_ You ran your mouth a mile a minute, eyes erratically glancing from the floor to the general area of Jane's false face, "What I'm saying is that I'm _very sure_ that he's dead and I don't know where he would be. If you want to know where he moved to or where he lived before, I could tell you that?"

"Wow." Natalie blinked, "All of that was completely useless." Your stomach dropped as the point of one of her knives was brought to the tender skin of your cheek. Angrily pulsating beneath the sudden pressure, carefully not cutting into you, yet. "Janey baby," She turned her head to the masked woman, speaking in a sickly sweet coo, "Can I cut her for wasting our time?"

"Not yet." Jane rigidly responded, you hoped that she wasn't considering the idea. It wasn't very comforting when she didn't tell Natalie to take the blade away. "(Y/n)." Addressing you coldly once more, every syllable a threat that didn't need to be spelled out, "Do you _really think that pathetic worm_ is dead?"

You'd think if someone was calling another person a pathetic worm, they wouldn't be very sure of them. Probably believing they were dead at the drop of a hat. There was also the fact that you'd never met this woman or heard her voice before in your entire life, she didn't know Jeff. Yet she spat out insults at him like they'd been pettily feuding for years on end. That was it, this woman was completely delusional and either roped her buddies in or they were just mindless followers to her whims, not needing convincing. 

"Uhm, yeah." You flatly replied, rocking your heels back and forth. Glancing down to your torso, still wearing your bomber even though the back was shredded to shit. Enamel pins still there, hanging with a light weight off your chest. From pastel Jersey devil's, mini chupacabra's, to cutesy sheet ghosts, shiny comforts you were glad to see. You wondered why your back didn't feel like a cats destroyed scratching post at the moment. It hurt, but not as bad as you though getting cut multiple times would hurt, it sucked but was oddly okay.

Your head was pulled further up, you grunting in pain as her finger further dug into your front. Bending in half, mask right in your face. A hateful growl emitting behind the knowing smile, _"Then who killed my family?"_

It felt like a mix between a rhetorical and trick question. Your only response was a confused yet honest, "I don't know?"

Pulling you an inch forward by your hair, not caring about your hiss of pain as the knife that Natalie held firm started to press harder into your tender flesh. The blade had to be incredibly sharp for the slight pressure to allow the cold iron to cut past layers of skin so easily. You whined and tried to pull your face away from the knife, from the mask but Jane's fist held you firm. There was no escape.

Finger pressing harder into you, you were practically forced to look at her, mask taking up the majority of your view. "Jeffery Woods, that's who, six years ago." Spoken like she was blaming you for the supposed crimes of a dead kid.

This woman was actually insane. Not the type of insane people throw around haphazardly as an insult but she was genuinely mentally ill and delusional. Jeff probably died of infection from whatever he did to his face, burns not completely healed, blind in one eye. A child couldn't just keep going in that condition. Most likely manic during the killings and attacking of his brother, ignoring all the bad shit he felt. But when he came down from the high, he'd be hurt and orphaned. Disappearing before the cops could catch him, hiding under someones porch or running into the woods. Succumbing to infection within days or weeks. Maybe they never found his body because he fell somewhere quite odd or he drowned in moving water, currents constantly keeping the recovery of bloated fat and tissue just out of reach. 

Warm wetness leaked from your cheek ever so slowly while you grimaced, losing your shit. Jane didn't let go and Natalie didn't move the knife, Jack just observed, standing silently behind the two girls with his arms crossed.

"You're one of the last people alive that was in contact with him." It was bitterly true, brother condemned to same fate of dying manic and alone and parents slaughtered. "You knew him for years. Isn't there anywhere that he said he always wanted to go? Anywhere you think that he'd go if he had a pathetic and disgusting downward spiral?" From pure rage to firm questioning. Playing good cop, bad cop with herself but there was no good cop, just scarily firm cop and pissed off cop.

The two of you never decided on a college to attend together. Being laid back, thinking that you'd choose that sort of thing in high school. As for placed he used to hang out, there was the willow tree at his old house. It was still there. Thirty-seven Van Dyke drive. The home that you'd stayed over night after night. Walking up and down the steep driveway, passing by the garden the Shelia paid gardeners to extensively care for. They didn't tear down the home, nothing bad happened there other than Jeff and Liu's nightmarish upbringing. Sometimes on bad nights, when you couldn't get him out of your head, you'd look it up on Google Maps. The willow tree was so much taller now. Old carvings mostly healed, barely visible but you remembered each one well.

"Have you tried his old house?" If they hadn't you'd be honestly floored. That'd be the first place you'd look for Jeff if you were crazy and without the brain cells to put together that he had to be dead. No normal human could survive that. You'd walked passed his old and vacated home after that night, walking passed the 'For Sale' sign planted next to the mailbox. Standing at the top of the driveway and emptily staring at the front door that no one was behind. You hadn't been back there in years though. You didn't just wallow in grief, you moved on with your life while his memory was just something that occasionally popped into your brain. Someone had to have moved in by now and Jeff was still probably dead. 

"Of course we have! Do we look fucking dumb?" You weren't going to answer that.

"I'm sorry but," You tried to deliver the obvious news to the whack jobs as softly as possible, "I don't think I can help you."

She stood straighter up, mask no longer uncomfortably close. Natalie followed her example, eye still making the annoyingly repetitive sound as she lowered her hands to her sides. You still weren't calm or okay in the slightest but it gave you a smidgen of confidence to suggest, " _Please just let me go."_

Jane complied, removing her finger from your chest and lowering your head to a level that didn't strain your neck. Knife finally off of your cheek, you let out a shuddering sigh of relief as the pain stayed. The cause of the wound gone, all it had to do now was heal. Everything would get better. 

You realized you were mistaken when she twisted her torso, reeling a fist back. Aiming for your already busted cheek, looking to worsen the damage. You winced, flinching back into the chair and waiting for an impact. One that didn't come. 

Cracking open your eyes, muscles tensed, adrenaline flowing, you found that Jane's fist had been stopped before she could even throw the punch. 

_"Let go."_ The hateful growl emitted from behind the black smile, turned to the expressionless false face of blue and shifting black. His hand completely encompassing her wrist, making the woman who seemed so in charge and all powerful look like a twig to be snapped.

"No." Jack evenly replied, finally stepping in after getting his fill of voyeurism, "She doesn't know where he is."

He had no problem seeing you get hurt for whatever reason, but letting you get knocked out by little miss iron fists was probably a little excessive. Wanting you awake for unspoken proposes or just wanting to plain piss her off even more.

She grabbed his arm, trying to yank herself free, speaking a warning, " _Jack."_

"I told you that it was a stretch anyway." He kept his cool in the face of rage about to boil over and blow up in his masked face, "We still have our original use for her."

With his reasoning she stopped struggling as harshly, calming down, but still tense. Convinced that she wasn't going to immediately knock your lights out, he released her arm and she did the same to him. Huffing and wiping the hand that held onto the leather of her dress like he had cooties or something. 

Being not punched was cool and all but you were reeling at the whole 'original use' thing. What did that mean for you? Organ harvesting? Were they going to chop you into bits and eat your flesh like Jeffery Dahmer or would they do it like a bunch of rabid raccoons? You wouldn't put it past people who kidnapped you and questioned you about a dead kid.

Jane spun on her heels, still wiping her hand on her dress with a note of disgust. "I'm going to go cool my head." She spoke more astutely, less dripping with rage and more cold. These peoples emotions were like a fucking roller coaster, save for Jack who seemed eerily level headed. Her masked face turned over her shoulder to him, "Keep an eye on her."

Without a goodbye or a biting comment directed toward you, she stormed out of the looted Claire's. Watching her walk away, you took into account your surroundings even more. The stores exit directly ahead, a large opening that showed a mostly empty and trash filled corridor. Across the way was a colorful storefront that read boldly ' _HANK'S BALLS'._ Next to the oddly named establishment was what you thought was broken down Burger King. It all felt like an abandoned mall to you. 

Where in the world were you? Did they live here or was this just were they tortured very cool and anxious people? 

You forced yourself to stop questioning your surroundings as the situation before you continued to change. Natalie barking out a laugh, "Hah! An eye!"

Jack just looked at her. His arm falling back to his side and standing still. The two stayed like that for some time. Natalie standing on her tiptoes to try and get some height on the absolute giant of a man to no avail. Staring down his unseen eyes with a spiteful vigor. The repetitive sound of the clock just reminded you that time was passing. You wondered how long you'd been missing, if there were plenty of reports of what people saw. You hoped that the cops could find you. Even if they were pigs, you kinda needed some help. Then again, you might now have time to sit around with your thumbs in your ass. 

Breathing somewhat steadily, you began thinking. The idiots allowing you time, caught up in their petty stare down. Obviously you'd try to not piss them off, they were armed and dangerous. You weren't going to get yourself unnecessarily harmed just because of pride. There wasn't any shame to be had with being kidnapped, they could wallow in their misstep when they were in jail. Maybe you could wiggle out of your restraints when they eventually fucked off, make a run for it. Even if they didn't leave you alone, you'd try and obey, let them get comfortable. They'd make a mistake in their comfort that would grant you a window of opportunity.

She threw in the towel, lowering herself with a dissing huff, "Whatever. I'm not gonna waste my time on your dumbass." Turning away from his piercing yet unseen gaze. Turning tail and starting to saunter out of the store, holding up a middle finger over her shoulder, "Later fuckers."

Jack didn't acknowledge the disrespect, instead asking, "So, I'm on watch?" 

"What's it look like?" Natalie rudely snorted, not slowing her exit one bit. Gesturing lazily with a dismissive wave, "C'est la vie. Bitch." With all the constant reminders of him, being that time of year and being questioned about him, Jeff was on your mind a fucking lot. She reminded you of him, brash, acting carelessly rude but she cared to enough of enough to get angry at the little things.

She made the same turn that Jane had, probably going to follow the woman and bombard her. Jane had made quite the impression of an angry person, you don't know how she hadn't knocked Natalie out already. She was loud and disrespectful. Maybe there was something going on between the two. You don't just dress like that and not be gay.

Being left alone with Jack made you nervous. But you somewhat had an idea that he wouldn't completely fuck you up because he wouldn't allow Jane to knock your lights out again. Perhaps having some moral code or some shit. Just because he saved you from one punch didn't make him more redeemable in your book; he still chased you down, crushed your phone, and mocked you.

Jack was a fucking prick. 

A prick that had turned his head to you. A thick droplet stretched off of his blue chin, staying connected to the thinning stream before gravity further pulled it down. Black tether giving way and letting the fat drop fall to the floor, landing with a wet ' _schlap'_. You stared at the floor in mild awe and curiosity, glancing to his chunky platform boots that could crush your skull like a watermelon. 

You glanced away, not wanting to think about all the ways he could burst you open like a fruit gusher. Rocking your heels faster into the carpeted floor, trying to think of something to help yourself with that wasn't just a silver tongue that you lacked. It was hard to stay on task mentally while questions of why surfaced over and over. Some more existential than others. Something that also didn't help in the slightest was the still blue in your peripherals. You didn't want to look at him, afraid that if you did he'd come unfrozen and surge forward to snap your neck. So you just sat, trying to think and look like you weren't plotting his downfall. Oh, how you'd celebrate with the finest of apple juices with Noah after getting so much therapy. You hoped he wasn't too torn up over you, you'd be home soon but for now you had to sit still. 

All too aware of the empty black sockets keeping a very good eye on you.


	5. 4 - Turn A Blind Eye

_It was almost done and over with. Just a few more minutes, a subway ride, and a couple hours sleep and then you'd get to finally get to it._

_"Fuck dude!" Whisper shouting, looking over your shoulder to check for the millionth time that your coworkers wouldn't come around and be weird. Weird as in stare rudely at you being happy. Whenever you weren't shoving frozen waffles into the freezer isle, your hands were practically vibrating. Flapping them so fast just thinking about the upcoming event. Well, it was less of an event and more of a night in. Sitting on a Discord call with your friends, marathoning the same show for hours on end. "I just, god! Ya'know?"_

_Bio had brought up the fact that the History channel had a weird habit of airing hour long specials about things that were definitely not history. Faked moon landings, aliens, Bigfoot, the illuminati, you though of it, they aired it. Always spinning it into some grand conspiracy that these things were real and impacted history. The episode you'd picked was about the Yeti existing and leading settlers to the Appalachian Mountains to die. It was a huge stretch of untruths but you were so goddamn ready to listen to that stupid shit._

_You'd been going on about this for hours. Constantly asking Noah if he was really okay with you going on for so long like this. He was, but he wasn't as chatty as normal. He and James had hit a bit of a rough patch, something involving James's parents. Noah told you to keep going, it was nice to think about something other than slobbish old people. Smiling warmly at you while you stimmed and chattered._

_"I don't know how you watch all that stuff and not get freaked out. Shows like that always make me paranoid." Noah admitted on the walk to the subway stairwell. It was six in the morning, the sun starting to crawl over the horizon. People starting to stir and come out to the streets to jam themselves into cars, buses, or the subway._

_Somehow he caught your eye, a man that was going the same way as the both of you. It was only because of the super long green scarf he wore. Wrapped loosely around his neck and halfway up his face. You didn't think it was that cold out, but it was six in the morning, you supposed it was a little chilly._

_After your brief glance to the man, you turned back to Noah as the two of you descended down the subway stairs. "It's just too ridiculous for me to take seriously ya'know?" You were glad that you always rode the subway late at night or at the ass-crack of dawn, there was almost never a line for the turnstiles._

_"I dunno, (Y/n). Reptilians seem like a real threat to me." Noah smiled as the two of you sauntered down the platform and stood before a painted square of yellow, waiting._

_"Wait," You chuckled, "Really?"_

_"Nah, I'm joking." You hummed and nodded, idly shaking your hands as you thought as the incoming marathon. The conversation fizzled out pretty quick. He'd gotten even more quiet, probably tired and a bit cranky from working all night. Having to try and iron out things with James after trying to get some rest. You canned it, letting him ruminate as you glanced around idly. Hand starting to pull your phone from your pocket as you saw that guy again._

_This time you looked a little bit longer, he was closer. Standing at the next painted yellow square, pulling his scarf further up his face as he gave you a quick side eye. Locking eyes for a spit second, you were caught red handed staring at a stranger because you were bored. You gave him a customary white person smile as you internally screeched that he must think you were some weirdo stalker now._

_It wasn't until you and Noah were almost to your stop that you put your phone away, shooting a couple of messages to your little group chat with the two about how excited you were. Familiar music playing in your ears over the horrid grating sound of metal wheels on unlubricated rails. You glanced at Noah who rubbed his eyes tiredly, hardly staying awake the entire ride. Whenever he got stressed out like this he wouldn't let himself sleep. Too paranoid that every 'what if' in his head would happen while he was out. Probably thinking to himself that if he wasn't ready to shoot back a text to James immediately that he'd be broken up with. An unrealistic scenario because James was always sleeping this early in the morning. But that didn't stop Noah from overthinking. You kept a comforting hand on his leg the entire ride._

_You would have thought that he got in the car that pulled up before his yellow square but low and behold, he was in your car. Long scarf guy. Sitting with his legs crossed across the car a couple seats to the left. Looking away and resting his elbow on the armrest, head leaning into his hand. Hair shifting across his forehead to reveal off-color spots. The sight of acne scars across a pale forehead was oddly nostalgic, but there wasn't any memory too specifically tied to the sight that you could piece it together with. You chalked it up to someone you went to high school with, a sense of familiarity tugging at your gut._

_You almost immediately forgot about the stranger you sparingly glanced at as you got off the subway. Walking home with Noah, one hand on his shoulder and the other happily shaking. Dead set on getting home to get to bed as soon as possible. Not caring to look over your shoulder as thoughts of people trying to hunt down evidence of the Yeti filled your brain. Looking under every rock and pebble to find shreds of evidence that was purely circumstantial, trying to hunt something down and never having any luck._

**\----**

You didn't know where you were. Location wise, you knew you were in a Claire's, but past that, what state you were in, what county, you had no idea. Worst of all, you were stuck in here with a strange man.

Heels rocking back and forth and refusing to look completely his way, you mulled over your options. Without the threat of violence as obvious over your head but still very real, you could calm down somewhat. The heel rocking was as grounding as it was eye opening. They didn't tie your legs down and the plastic chair didn't seem the type to be bolted to the floor. Unlike the torn chair behind you that you'd only gotten a glance it. That chair was bolted to the floor, probably why it was still here. Claire's was known for it's shitty piercings, it only made sense that there was a piercing chair here. It didn't make sense why they did put you in the dinky plastic one instead of the secure metal one. Perhaps they were that stupid or thought you wouldn't try anything. 

With a lightweight chair and legs untied, you could practically walk out of here. All you needed to do was wait for Jack to go away. Leave you alone long enough for you to awkwardly hobble the hell out of here. For now though, you'd do your best to 'behave'. You didn't need to act like they all made you want to piss your pants, but you had to hold your tongue for the sake of self preservation. What you needed was them to think that you were scared into submission.

You were kinda glad that he seemed to be the quiet one. In your head you talked a big game, thinking to the future where you'd toast to him rotting in prison, but at the moment, you were the one trapped. You were genuinely too scared to talk as well as it was a smart move to not get your legs broken. It was also scary, you couldn't tell what he was thinking as he wasn't as obvious as the women. 

He hadn't really moved the entire time. Just standing there with his arms crossed, the occasional wet ' _schlap'_ sounding at his feet. Every drop made you flinch. Slow and loud repetition, a reminder of time passing and his presence. Breaking the pattern of inaction, leather squawked and groaned as he shifted in your peripherals. 

Movement. Did that mean he was going to attack you? If he was planning on hurting you, you should look and see what he had in mind. Maybe you could dodge whatever it was, somehow hobble away from him and escape his power walk of doom. You snapped your head in his direction, legs tensing and getting ready to run stupidly.

_Huh?_

Hood down, his mask was off and held in his blue-gray fingers. The skin of his face was the same color, gray with a blue tint. A broad face, strong jaw, shapely lips, a wide nose, monolids. But that wasn't what threw you for a complete loop. It was the completely blacked out eyes, the thick substance rolling down his cheeks. Bubbling up in gooey rivulets from his lower lid, unblinking and unbothered as the substance continued to crawl forth from his insides. You couldn't look away, mouth agape.

It couldn't be blood or other natural body fluids. It was too thick and slow, completely pitch black. It was akin to tears but something was obviously wrong. There was no shine to his eyes, no mass, honestly, it looked like there wasn't shit in there. Was that even humanly possible? Perhaps more impressive makeup tricks, fooling your eyes. But the dribble, the constant overflow over gray eyelids was so convincing. Color not giving way to a more normal skin tone even under the substance. 

It was uncanny. He looked so normal but he was such an oddity at the same time. Free hand coming up to his hair to fix the mess it'd become under his hood, shifting it into a somewhat neat faux hawk. Besides the skin and eye thing, he looked normal. A tinge of a punk aesthetic that came with an eyebrow piercing, three black hoops on either ear. One ear having three in it's lobe, the other having three helix piercing. 

What was he? Why did he look like that? Was it a fashion statement or was he just weird? Did he count as goth or punk? 

**THUMP.**

The sound made you jump but he didn't move. Face completely snapping to yours after the sudden stomp. Unblinking as the sound dissipated but your heart rate didn't slow.

"You're staring." It was odd hearing him talk without the muffle that came with the mask, the undertone even more apparent. Face blank, eyes of black pointed in your general direction. Your stomach dropping from the call out, the eye contact that felt inherently wrong and off. Nothing about him felt right, obviously he fucking kidnapped you, but that wasn't it. The voice, the ashy skin, the leakage, it was something of which you'd never seen. You were as curious as you were mortified, continuing to stare after his call out. Scared of what he'd do if you looked away but also rather intrigued. You'd never seen someone with that whole weird eye thing going on. You'd only heard of people with gray skin being inbreds or homestuck fans. There was also aliens. 

He had yet to blink, eyes yet to shift. Even if he was wearing blacked out contacts, you'd be able to see his eyes move. What the hell was this guy? 

Jack spoke once more, flat yet expectant, "Scream if you want. No one is coming to help you." 

You couldn't help yourself, speaking on impulse with the underlying hope that if you struck up conversation he might become more friendly. More friendly led to him trusting you, leading to mistakes, leading to freedom. "Why would I scream?" In your head it was obvious, screaming would get you fucked up. Was he stupid or what?

For a split second he looked disappointed and confused. Humming in response, not continuing the conversation. You looked away, he'd stopped moving again, just standing there and staring. His words setting in had you swallowing a thick lump in your throat. Implying that he didn't care if you were scared, that he probably wanted you to scream and struggle. Maybe he was trying to make you panic again with the face reveal and nihilistic words. You were internally freaking the fuck out, rocking your feet into the dingy carpet to try and calm yourself. Trying to not let his words get to you, you wouldn't let him chip away at your will. Asshole. 

It was hard to zone the quiet man out. Back aching and cheek warmly throbbing, two thin streaks of blood lazily sliding down your face after building up for what seemed like forever. You guessed the two of you would have something common in a second, the droplets about to slide off the tip of your chin. Except you knew what was on your face and it was going to fall onto and stain your already fucked bomber. The article of clothing was having a tough break.

**THUMP.**

Jumping in your seat and gasping, he grabbed your attention by taking a slow yet firm step forward. Hand reaching out to your face. Your breath caught in your throat, you leaned as far away from his hand as you could in your restraints. Not wanting to make an awkward run for it unless you felt like you absolutely had to.

You cringed as a single finger touched your tender cheek. Unnaturally warm, heat radiating off the pad of his finger like it was nobody's business. You sat frozen, eyes wide and staring at the thick digit as it was dragged across your cheek, right under the thin cut. Skin irritated and twitching under the unwelcome touch. His long claw like nail lightly scratching your bruised flesh, further adding to your discomfort. A chill running down your spine at the sensation despite the heat.

You didn't relax when he took his finger away from your face, gray coated in dark red. Heat staying a moment after he pulled his touch away. Eyes back on him as you watched the freak pop his finger into his mouth for a moment. You furrowed your brows and didn't feel as semi-safe as he just kept on staring you down, pulling his finger from his mouth slowly. Licked completely clean. 

He stood there a moment, mouth shifting as he tested the taste of your blood on his tongue. All you could think was; _What the actual fuck?_

Jeffery Dahmer claimed that he ate his victims because he loved them and wanted them to always be a part of him. Some messed up sense of power and control over another human being driving him to demented lengths. You just met these people, they couldn't be weirdly obsessed with you. Unless they were creepy stalkers before all of this. You think you'd notice if you were being stalked though. Maybe it was a sense of power, to control another human beings discomfort and location. Your life being used to get the thrill of the kill; after they were done with you they might just fry up your organs and nibble at your muscles. Admittedly, you were getting ahead of yourself. Overthinking while you stared up at the contemplative man.

Jack broke the silence, but did not ease the horrible tension, "Interesting." 

You jerked back in your chair as his hand reached out for your face once more. Literally biting your tongue, you weren't going to scream or yelp or backtalk. Not giving him more of a reason to hurt you, keeping up what pride you had with your silence. Telling yourself that you were brave and smart for keeping quiet, sucking your lips into your mouth as his finger came into contact with your skin once more. He used a different finger this time so you thankfully didn't have to feel his hot saliva glide across your face. 

Another fingertip loaded with blood was brought into his mouth. Unnatural warmth that his touch brought dissipating as he pulled his finger from his lips. Face showing consideration as he slipped his hand into the pocket of his jacket, accompanied by the light squeak of leather as he shifted. Presenting a little hand towel and wiping his hand free of his own saliva before one handedly folding the square of fabric back up and stuffing it in his pocket. Actually breaking the odd eye contact while he did so much to your partial relief. 

Clicking his tongue what sounded like multiple times, a tinge of contentedness in his rumbling voice, "Not bad."

Consuming another person's blood wasn't a good idea. For all he knew you could have some sort of blood transmitted diseases and he'd just infected himself. Also, consuming another persons blood in the first place was a weird thing to do. It just further proved how much a freak he was, probably just trying to get you to writhe and scream. You refused to give him want he wanted. 

Though you hoped you didn't taste good enough for him to want thirds, glaring at the man defensively.

"I'm going to check on them." You hadn't forgotten about crazy and crazier in your unknown time with Jack. Although you were glad to just have one whack-job in the room with you over three. 

Turning his body away from you, outfit audibly shifting and footsteps shaking the floor beneath you. He didn't turn to look back at you as he spoke.

"Don't try anything while I'm gone." He deadpanned, not needing to string together threats, knowing how imposing and intimidating he was already. Making his way out of the Claire's, mask held firm at his side and footsteps booming. 

You couldn't believe it. Alone, not feeling the shake of the floor beneath your feet any longer. No freaks in sight or within earshot. This was your chance. 

Leaning forward as much as you could in the chair, you shifted your weight onto your feet. Standing awkwardly with a chair tied to your back like a weird human snail, having to stand mostly bent over with your tied arms hanging uselessly in front of you. You'd figure out how to get out of your restraints along the way, now was the time to move.

Taking a shaky breath, you took a careful step forward. Trying to be quick but also quiet. With every step, you got a better look at the place you'd been put in. Not a single soul in sight. Parts of the glass roof shattered open, beams of soft morning light shining through. Stores with metal cage-like gates pulled over them, closed and never to be reopened or explored. 

You took a sharp breath as you set foot outside of Claire's, eyes darting to the corner that you could somewhat see around. Glass doors letting light flood into the building. There was no one in sight. You took a step toward the white light with a smile.

**THUMP.**

The ground violently shook, the sound emitting from directly behind your chair shell. It was now or never, you threw yourself forward. Caution of being quiet thrown to the wind, if you ran, if you could just get to those doors that felt like the pearly gates. 

Your feet were off the ground the second you tried to run. Grunting and losing your breath as the ropes that bound you dug into your stomach. He had grabbed the chair and was dangling you in the air. Kicking your feet uselessly, nowhere near the ground and being turned completely around.

"Hm, I was right." Jack mumbled to himself as the torn floor of Claire's cursed your vision once more. He carried you easily back to your barless prison. Was this an experiment, a test of how much he could trust you not to run? Were you going to be hurt for this? "I'm not surprised."

Swinging slightly back and forth as you were moved, ropes digging horribly into your chest and stomach and wheezing, trying to get air into your lungs. Wriggling and kicking your legs harder, trying to get away without thinking, panic flooding your brain.

You and the chair were set down beside the piercing chair. You weren't going to scream but trying to appeal to his humanity wasn't something you were above. Muttering out a quick and shrill, _"I'm so sorry."_

He was behind you, you couldn't see if he was angry or amused, you didn't know if you wanted know. The tight restraints around your chest loosened and fell limp. It didn't take much brain power to assume that he was going to put you in the immobile chair. The very second the last of the bindings fell away, Jack lifting them up and away to be used somewhere else, you jumped up from the plastic and tried to bolt.

Gasping as you were grabbed by the back of the throat, his hand uncomfortably warm against your windpipe. It was sickening and terrifying how much surface area of your skin he could cover with one of his palms. Long nails softly digging into the front of your neck.

"If you were sorry," You yelped as you were lifted off the ground, grip tightening and hanging painfully like cattle to be gutted from his hand, "You wouldn't try to escape again." 

Arms bound, you could hardly grab at him as you struggled. All of your will power going to not grovelling for your very life, he'd just get some sadistic kick out of you continuing to try and apologies and start to plead for mercy. That'd only make things worse.

You weren't hanging from his meaty hand for long, being placed roughly on the low chair. Now facing the man who held an even expression while you looked to him with grit teeth and wide eyes. Kicking at his legs to try and get him out of the way, throwing your intertwined arms at whatever was within reach. Jack completely disregarded your struggle, looking unbothered, same shit as always. 

Moving you without a problem even with your struggle. He worked intently to tie your torso to the chair, finishing up in no time at all before harshly pushing you back, the chair now laying flat. The bindings were firmer than last time, more reinforced then before. Feet propped up by a foot rest and unable to ground yourself or push yourself up on. He turned around, walking out of Claire's. 

Your mind racing as you struggled against the rope, kicking and trashing about. You heard him coming a few minutes later, holding more ropes. Oh joy!

**THUMP.**

There it was again. Doing it before he started to work on tying your legs up. The sound booming with a slight vibration sent up the chair. Perhaps a tic or habit?

Watching him carefully with a racing heart and labored breaths, you debated if it was still worth the effort to put up a struggle. Your hands were quite literally tied. Chest bound to the chair, flush with just your legs able to kick upward. He clearly could beat you to death at any second and the struggle just might be getting enough on his nerves to make him consider doing that. Then again, you were supposedly useful and he hadn't let Jane knock you out. 

You didn't know how much immunity the usefulness granted you though. Unaware if being tied to this chair was a punishment or precaution. You'd just breached whatever 'trust' he had in you not to try to escape, you were further back than square one, you were in jail and could not pass go. What you needed was to rebuild the image of yourself as scared and subdued with hopelessness. Then he'd get relaxed enough to leave you again and maybe you'd get out. Somehow. 

You weren't going to beg or scream though. Not now anyway. You'd scream your throat raw if you thought it would lead to rescue. With your newfound silence and relaxed legs he may find you to be somewhat smart, thinking you either wouldn't try him again or would absolutely try again. You couldn't tell his thought process from his blank face, tying your legs to the chair no problem.

It was not a good feeling to have someone completely tower over you while you were immobilized, laying down, and two feet off the ground. He looked fucking gargantuan, you turned your attention to the pins on your jacket. The colors, the designs, the familiar creatures were all somewhat soothing. 

Then the movement started. Just a couple inches at a time the chair was jerked upwards. Each janky movement accompanied by a horrible squeaking sound. Bringing you further up to his level ever so slowly by pumping his foot on the little pedal at the bottom of the chair. You did your best not to look at him during the awkwardly long process. Not sure if you should feel embarrassed for him or scared. 

The chair stopped rising once you were at the midpoint of his chest. Still standing tall over you but at least not near the boots that could crush your skull. You were hardly at ease. 

"That was an experiment," Straight to the point and clinical, "Do not try to escape again." You instantly thought _'no, screw you'_ but didn't voice it, not wanting to die. You wondered if the reason he instantly caught you was because he just stood outside of the Claire's. Waiting to see if you'd take what was in hindsight, obvious bait. Being some sort of human lab rat could be the purpose he so ominously eluded at. But then what did that mean in regards to Jeff?

God, you were so confused.

The two of you sat there like that for awhile. Another long and uncomfortable silence only pierced by the sounds of the substance that leaked from his eyes hitting the floor. Time slowly oozing on by.

It was getting on your nerves. It was scary to be in his presence but the dripping accompanied by nothing else was going to drive you insane. Your life had already been uprooted, completely uncomfortable and routine shattered. Now he was being an absolute creep, just watching you and leaking his weird eye juice everywhere. 

It was just so weird. Nothing made complete sense and as a naturally curious person, it was nagging at you that you didn't completely get what was going on.

You had to ask for your sanity's sake, "Why am I here?" Refusing to look at him, glancing to literally anything but his massive frame.

Either he was as bored with the silence as you were or he was just that nice of a kidnapper, "Jeff cared about you and we want Jeff. So now we have you."

Taking a wild gander that he wouldn't kick your ass if you kept on talking, you spoke, "He's dead." Now that the floodgates of hesitant communication were open, you were going to ramble, "He couldn't have lived through all that. But! Let's say he did, Jeff's alive and doing god knows what now," You wondered what he looked like, "Why do you 'want' him and how exactly do I, someone who hasn't seen him in ten years, fall into that equation?" Almost instantly internally answering your own question, Jane accused him of killing off her family. That's something that held some weight but it didn't clear up much. 

Jack answered with another ominously vague statement, "He's not dead, but he will be." Very helpful.

You reiterated the message spelled out to you multiple times, "So you're saying he's alive?"

Though you asked, it was more so to get a grip on how many marbles he'd lost since it was clearly a lot of them. Jeffery Woods was long dead.

Jack seemed somewhat amused by this, tone picking up ever so slightly, "Have you not been listening?"

You didn't want to answer that, it felt like a loaded question. Say yes and you look stupid, say no and he might degrade or punish you. Instead of retorting, you shook your feet back and forth as much as your bindings would allow. 

"You're one of the only options left." You guessed he really was bored, maybe wanting to observe your reactions to things that he said. After all, he literally left you alone as an experiment. 

You hoped you weren't overstepping, hoping that his mutual curiosity would provide some answers, "Meaning?"

He spoke condescendingly as another droplet hit the floor, "That's all it means." You were getting a serious know-it-all vibe from this guy.

Sucking your lips into your mouth, you held in a sigh of contempt. Glancing to the pins, an idea starting to form in the back of your brain. Maybe you could use them? Wait. Your keys. Though you'd grown accustomed to the odd weight, they still lightly pressed into your side. You could use that. All you had to do was reopen your window of opportunity. Just make your anxious ass talk to the big scary man again. At least he was seemingly open to talking, vaguely answering questions.

"Who are you?" You started slow, every word feeling like a test.

"Jack." He flatly replied, getting more unbearable by the second.

Nodding in annoyed understanding, you finally glanced his way. Unblinking and blackness still overflowing from his bottom eyelids.

" _What_ are you?" You'd like to see him come up with a smartass response to that.

Without missing a beat, he flatly answered, "A rouge god."

Ah, of course. As one just is. Not exactly knowing how to respond to the gray guy with a newly revealed god complex, you took a second to just reel at the dumbassery of it all. Then you thought about it, if he wasn't lying.

Your mind instantly ran with the idea. Perhaps a guy with a crazy birth defect with way too much pride. Or maybe he was an honest to god monster. Cryptid. What if he was a fucking cryptid? Holy shit. You combed your brain for any blurry images of tall men in black trench coats. There were plenty of things that came to mind. Firstly being the flatwoods monster. It kinda looked like it was in a dress, his trench coat could be mistaken for one at a distance. You wiped the idea off the table, he didn't have glowing red eyes or a triangular shape atop his head. 

Jack broke the silence, probably bored with just watching you. Unable to do whatever hobbies he had, stuck with the captive who was quietly plotting his downfall. "You're welcome."

"Huh?" You were torn from your thoughts by his sudden somewhat cocky pleasantry.

"Your back." The man vaguely replied for what felt like the millionth time.

You got it. Natalie 'cut the fuck outta' your back after all. You should be wincing and doing whatever you could to relieve the pressure of the chair on your back. It still hurt but there was a foreign feeling on your back that you didn't quite place at first. Thinking it was just you sitting on your clothes weird for awhile. But the fresh wounds only mildly stung. You couldn't verify for sure, but you had a feeling he patched up your back. Cleaning the cuts and covering them in bandages. 

"Thanks?" You rose a brow at him, making momentary odd eye contact with him. Silence fell over the two of you for a few moments, you hoped he didn't take your hesitance as in insult. You didn't care about his feelings you did care about your health though. 

**THUMP.**

There it was, the unnecessary stomp that had you nearly jump out of your skin. The loud noise agitated you, having you trying to cope with feet shaking and fingers flexing. 

"Hm." Jack hummed as the sound dissipated, you slowing your behaviors.

**THUMP.**

Jumping and staring the repetitive movements once more, you grit your teeth and frowned at him.

"Why do you do that?" Jack inquired, finally asking you questions.

You gave him a look of 'are you fucking dumb' yet speaking as casually as you could, irritated but still very scared, "Helps." 

"With?" He rose his brows, another glob of black falling off of his face. 

You didn't want to admit you were scared. He knew it, you knew it, but you didn't want to say it. So you beat around the bush, "Stuff." You gave him an uneasy smile, maybe you could charm your way onto his better side. You decided to fire back a question, hoping he wouldn't further pry, "What's with your eyes?"

"I have none." Jack replied, not having blinked once, having no shape to his eye, a substance constantly leaking passed his eyelids. As interesting as the idea was, you were a bit skeptical of the whole him being a god thing. But you really really wanted to believe it. But there was no evidence to back up his supposed godhood other than an odd appearance and supposedly no eyes. It was a stretch. 

He was an oddity, an enigmatic figure without eyes. "So," Please say yes, "Are you blind?" 

The man delivered the message with a small smile, getting a kick out of confusing you, he almost certainly knew you were trying to figure a way out, "Yes but also, no." 

_What?_

Nothing made any sense. Your head was starting to hurt. You just wanted to go home.

"(Y/n)." The smile disappeared almost as soon as it came, tone shifting back to one dead serious. Growing ridged, even stopping your stimming, you looked to his supposedly eyeless sockets. "I know that you're trying to think of ways to escape." Clocked just like that. You suddenly remembered how much bigger he was than you, how easily he held you in place. "Just know," Gray lips curling back, you were greeted with the sight of teeth that weren't right, "I'll eat both of your hands if you try anything." Instead of incisors, he had canines, off-white and sharp. His actual canines were longer and larger than his front teeth. Similar to dog teeth but sharpened to even finer of a point.

There was something else about his mouth that you only got a sparing glance of. His gums were also dark, not the usual pink color. He didn't open his mouth wide enough for you to get a good look at his tongue. Was it gray too?

It was enamoring. He kept on pulling surprises out of his sleeves. Though you still toyed with the crazy cosplayer idea, he was starting to slowly convince you otherwise. Probably only because you were obsessed with anything monsters, meeting a real one was such a wildly intriguing idea that you found yourself nearly swept away with acceptance. But that didn't mean you liked Jack, in fact you hated his guts. Not only kidnapping you but being an asshole too. Well, kidnapping someone was an inherently asshole-ish thing to do. 

You were trying not to lose your shit. Not with just fear and interest but the fact that you really wanted to parrot that. As Jack shut his mouth, probably thinking you were thoroughly intimidated, you sucked your lips into your mouth while trying not to fucking combust. You were scared, that's why you felt so compelled to whisper such an iconic line as, _"I'll eat both of your hands!"_

Neck not immediately snapped at the mimicked murmur, Jack blankly looked back at you. You felt small under him, scared, weak, so you spat his threat out like a broken record with a nervous laugh, a little bit louder than before, _"I'll eat both of your hands."_ Tied up, uneasy, talking to a self proclaimed god, you'd take any comfort where you could. Saying it once more but more articulated, more like how he phrased it, "I'll eat both of your hands."

"Is that what you think I sound like?" Spoken with an air of amusement, he questioned your echoing by raising his brows.

You tore your gaze away from the not so blind man, clamming up for the sake of self preservation. Not looking to have a jokingly friendly conversation or explain why you felt so compelled to parrot the clear threat.

Fleeing into your mind for a moment of semi-respite. But you couldn't escape Jack even in there, thoughts drifting to him. Thinking that it'd be interesting if he was a god but it read more like a god complex to you. But you had eyes unlike him. You could see somewhat like him. Though you didn't understand how he saw. Humans didn't have such a thick fluid in their bodies, humans touch shouldn't be that warm, humans shouldn't have a mouth full of sharp teeth. You've seen some freaky people on the internet, but you didn't know if someone would ever be this dedicated to body modification. 

For now, you'd just slap an unknown label onto the man. 

If he was inhuman though, that'd be something. A monster, an alien, some hybrid of something, you had no idea. But if he could be inhuman, something never seen, then that in turn opened plenty of other doors. What else was possible?

Your mind instantly drawing up the thought, being constantly subjected to his name. What if Jeff _was_ alive? He had to be twenty-three by now, just like you. Covered in burn scars, healed by now for sure. Maybe his dark brown hair continued to darken as he grew up, growing into a rich brown or shifting fully into black like his mother's. Probably with scarred knuckles, the rascal always got into fights no matter where he went. If it wasn't from fighting and he hid away from the world, they were probably fucked up from punching so many trees. 

What would you even say to him if he was alive? If he was alive and they intended to use you as something to do with him, did that mean you'd get to talk to him? See the man that he grew into. Closure. Something you'd yearned for over the past decade. Time had healed most of the wound but with nothing to say from his side, the emotional wound didn't close all the way. Lingering doubts, warmth, new found resentments. You'd hug him then clock him upside the jaw. 

It'd be a lot. You didn't know if you could handle that honestly.

" _Incoming call from Bossy."_ You were snapped out of your thoughts with a robotic voice and a soft buzzing. Turning to the noise to see Jack pull his phone from his pocket. 

"Answer." Oh yeah, he was blind in some kind of way. Can't operate a phone very easily without voice commands. The man brought the phone to his ear with a, "Hello?"

Her voice was loud and clear even without being on speaker. "What's she doing?" Jane.

"Laying down." Jack plainly replied, sounding like he wanted off the phone with her already.

"Doing what?" Jane insisted on more details over the speaker.

"Hm." Jack stomped his foot.

**THUMP.**

The loud sound had you jumping once more, chair slightly vibrating. "Laying down. Looking kind of delicious I might add." 

You gave him a look, internally screaming in fear.

Jane sighed, _"Do not_ eat the captive."

"I mean," Jack put the hand that held his mask to his stomach, "I haven't had a proper meal in some time." You suddenly felt a lot more nervous, shrinking as much as you could into the chair. Enjoying pissing off Jane, enjoying scaring you, he smiled the widest he had the entire time. It wasn't very big but you could make out the points of his teeth. "Just a bite?"

"It's never 'just a bite' with you, Jack." She scolded as your heart pounded horribly in your chest.

"Yeah," He mused, "So is that permission to eat the captive?" Being referred to as 'the captive' was mildly dehumanizing but you weren't going to pipe up when he was semi-jokingly considering the idea of eating you. If you set him off one more time, it might be the last thing you ever do.

Jane sighed over the receiver, _"Really?"_

"What?" Jack almost sounded like an uncle at a barbecue who just got called out for being homophobic. 

"Really?" She repeated herself with even more exasperation, "Do you think you're funny?"

"Yes." The man dryly responded.

"Whatever." Dismissing him before she continued with a more professional tone, "Liu said he's on his way. I don't know when he'll exactly be here, never has been very punctual." Jane commented idly before snapping out an order, "Just, make sure she stays put. I'm gonna be a while." 

Liu? As in, Liu Woods? As in, Jeff's brother? Was this really happening? It could just be a guy with the same name or a code name they gave to someone else in their little posse. You didn't know what to make of any of this, head reeling painfully.

"'Kay." Jack flatly answered, "Hang up." You'd seen him press the large answer and hang up buttons before on the subway. He was just using voice commands to spite Jane, wasn't he?

"Wait d-" The call ended as Jack stuffed his phone into his coat pocket.

"You make me hungry." He bluntly told you like that was socially acceptable, "So, I'm going to get a bite to eat." He turned, coat loudly shifting around him, "Don't move or _I'll eat both of your hands."_ With the respoken threat, parroted in the same way you said it, a smile evident in his voice, he made his leave with booming footsteps.

What the fuck just happened?

You didn't have time to sit and wonder with your thumbs up your ass. The keys felt like they were burning a hole in your pocket. Seeing Jeff with their aid was tempting, but you were still quite sure of his demise. You weren't going to stick around a bunch of true crime obsessed nutjobs. You were going to get out of here.


	6. 5 - Pit Of Vipers

**Use of the** **F slur**

_One week til school finally set you free for the summer. The student body was bustling with chatter of vacation. Bikes sitting in wait in the rack. Riding the bus was an absolute shit show. Loud constant jabbering, general rowdiness, people trying to harass you because that’s just how middle school was. Riding the mile home on bikes was so much nicer. Even in the winter you’d make it work. Throwing on layer after layer of clothing and preparing to deal with icey roads._

_The middle school and high school were conjoined, two huge buildings on the same campus. The two of you often waiting for Liu to stop trying to awkwardly talk to whatever crush he currently had. Once he showed up, you’d all ride home together as a happy little trio._

_The buses had left by now, the sounds of screaming children fading as they drove away. The only remaining students were those waiting for their parents to pick them up or small groups that also rode their bikes waiting for their high school buddies to accompany them. Usually you and Jeff would just sit on the curb, bikes waiting at your feet and talking about whatever. It was mostly him shit talking teachers and you intently listening, chiming in with little blurbs about how who was stupid and who could suck your ass._

_Today wasn’t one of those days._

_“What did you say?” The boy, Nickolas something, you couldn’t remember his last name, growled._

_“I said that I fucked your mom, shit lips!” Jeff retorted with a smug smile. It was hardly anything, just Nickolas giving you a weird look. Turning to his friends and making a comment about your stimming, rocking and jabbering to Jeff about true crime. Honestly, you hardly heard it but Jeff did, standing up from the curb and throwing an insult at the bigger boy._

_It sucked that people pointed out things you did and stared. You tried to mask it for some time, just wanting to ‘fit in’ and be ‘normal’. But you didn’t like it. Just wanting to be yourself without shame. Jeff got on your case about it, brashly lecturing you about not conforming, he was the only trans kid in the whole school that was out, and he was unabashedly out no matter what people said. He inspired you to be yourself, as much inspiration a thirteen year old trans boy who didn't know what conditioner was could give you. So, you stopped stopping yourself from stimming as often as of late. It came with a lot more staring, a lot more being self conscious, a lot more of a need to conform. Jeff stuck with you though, aggressively telling you to do whatever the fuck you wanted._

_You appreciated the support but stooping to their level was something you tried not to do. Honestly, half the time you were too stressed out by the environment that school was to really notice the insults. You just kept thinking to yourself that it’d all go away once you got to high school or maybe over the summer everyone would mature. But that’s what you’d been thinking for the longest time. All of you were still ignorant snot nosed brats, maturity didn’t come easy to a lot of people._

_“Jeff,” You mumbled to him, heart pounding at the thought of him getting his ass handed to him, “Lets just go. It’s fine.” You dealt with it all the time, you didn’t want to but this wasn’t the worst of it. Not worth it over a comment made in passing._

_Instead of talking back to you, Jeff continued his stream of insults, “And! You’re a fucking idiot, dumbass, piece of sh-”_

_Nickolas was on him in a second, fist reeled back and aiming for Jeff’s pasty face._

_**WAP!**_

_He fell back into the sidewalk with a grunt, sitting on his ass with a hand on his cheek and scowling._

_“Jeff!” You cried, kneeling to his side. Going to grab him and drag his stupid ass away. He wasn’t a sports kid, he couldn’t stand up to Nickolas. Best soccer player in the whole school. Which honestly hardly meant anything because your school never won any soccer games. There was also the fact that he was sixteen, older, maybe smarter._

_He slapped your hand away, “Let me do this for you, dumbass.” Ever the scrappy one, he was back on his feet. You stood as well, frowning and trying to figure out a way to deescalate the situation. Although, you knew Jeff. Once something like this was started, he was going to see it to the end even if it’d end with him bloodied and bruised._

_Nickolas sized the smaller boy up while his buddies in their soccer uniforms waited for mommy to pick them up. Probably feeling like the coolest kid on the fucking block for being a huge piece of shit. High on a taste of power and adrenaline, with a tinge of childish rage, he smiled as Jeff opened his mouth again. Giving him another reason in his high schooler brain to go in for another round._

_Jeff knew his odds. Glancing to you, his reason for getting his ass whooped. Something he willingly started in your name, trying to prove himself or defend your honor or some shit like that. “You punch like a lil puss-”_

_**Wap!**_

_Back on his ass once more, cringing and grunting. A hand slapped over his nose and cheek growing red and more swollen by the second. Cracking his eyes open, hateful and angry, growling with complete conviction, “You’re gonna regret that.”_

_Nickolas just huffed out a laugh as you stood shellshocked. Getting teachers wasn’t an option, you knew what’d happen. “Oh yeah?”_

_You swallowed your fear, stepping between the two boys. Dread churning deep in your gut and not knowing what righteous message about anti-bullying to sling at him. Instead you simply yelled at sternly as you could, “Stop! He’s sorry, just stop."_

_Jeff groaned as he stood, “No, I’m fucking not.”_

_“Jeff!” You shot a worried glance over your shoulder. Concern only growing when you saw the red welt forming on the bridge of his nose. “Please stop.” Maybe if you said it to them both, they’d stop this stupid shit._

_“You don't have to be a doormat to these assholes, (Y/n).” He informed, aggressively caring over you. It made sense. You didn’t like being walked all over, but you just hoped it’d go away in time. If you were just passive it’d all go away. Fighting, screaming and yelling was a tempting thing sometimes but you didn’t want things to get worse. You didn’t want to give people the reactions they wanted, making them come back at you twice as hard. In a constant lose-lose situation. Either take it as it is or fight it and it'd gets worse. God knows how useless school systems are when it comes to bullying._

_“You really care about your little girlfriend, huh faggot?” Nickolas looked to his friends for approval to find smiles. A bunch of blood thirsty fourteen to seventeen year olds. Turning back to you with an ugly smile. Opening his lips to throw out an insult or just plain tell you that he was going to punch you in the face. But he didn’t get to finish the sentiment before a dull green backpack was launched into his chest. Having the boy stumbling back as the the heavy book bag filled with unread textbooks fell to the ground._

_Reeling with a hand on his stomach, Nickolas looked up to the one who dared throw something at him. He was on top of the older boy before he knew it. Returning the fist he threw at Jeff with as much force he could muster. Nickolas's head snapping to the side before another fist from Liu's other hand was rammed into the other side of his stupid fucking face._

_His edgy little buddies just stood and watched. Mouths hanging open in shock and voyeuristic delight at seeing their friend get the snot punched out of him._

_Though Nickolas was getting decked over and over, he delivered a swift punch to Liu's stomach. The boy doubling over with a forced cough. "Hah! Bi-" He was promptly punched in the balls._

_On his knees with his meaty hands over his soccer shorts. Face contorted in agony as his friends hollered, "Oh Shit! Oh fuck! Bro, are you gonna just sit there and take that?"_

_Liu wasn't done with him just yet. Giving Nickolas a sharp kick to his lower stomach, having the boy fall onto his back. Exposed, groaning, hands trying to protect his balls, already down, Liu didn't let up. Practically pouncing on the boy's chest to hold him down under his weight, which wasn't much, Liu wasn't the beefiest fifteen year old around. Still, he did what he could to the boy under him. Throwing fist after fist to the sides of his face. A nasty snarl on his lips, usually so composed, now pissed the fuck off._

_"Don't you ever," Liu snarled between grit teeth as he delivered fist after fist to the boy's face, "fucking touch my brother again." He sounded like a demon, if demons sounded like a fifteen year old scorned. You'd seen him angry before but never to an extent such as this. Usually just telling people to buzz off._

_"Hey!" You'd been entranced in the confrontation, shellshocked but with the sudden cutting voice of the gym coach, you were freed of your trance. Jogging over to the action with a student behind him, snitch. "Stop that!" Liu didn't stop, at least for a few more punches before snapping his head up to incoming teacher._

_"Shit." Liu jumped to his feet, whipping around and barking, "Lets go!" Scrambling to grab his backpack and sling it over his shoulder._

_Jeff pulled you along by the back of your shirt. You being dragged along a few feet before moving on your own. Snatching your bike alongside him while Liu tore his ride form the bike rack. The coach far too lazy to actually run just yelled, "Hey! Don't you dare!"_

_All the yelling, the unnecessary violence, had you wanting to get the hell out of there. So you ran alongside the boys in the school parking lot before hopping up onto the bike seat and leaving the school in the dust._

_Your breath was short and your heart was pounding mercilessly in your chest. All the while Jeff was cackling, "Holy shit! That was fucking great!" Liu just shot him a glare as the three of you peddled along. Bike chains spinning and tires softly clicking. Jeff continued despite his brothers clear disapproval, "But! I could'a taken that guy."_

_"No you couldn't." Liu huffed, reddened knuckles shifting as adjusted his grip on the bikes handles._

_"Totally could'a." The boy mused unrealistically. Liu just shook his head with a huff. From a feral teenager to a pissy kid on a bike._

_It stayed like that for some time. Jeff just going on and on about how much of a badass he was and Liu not indulging him in his little power fantasies. You stayed quiet, trying to think of something reasonable to say to the boys. Something about violence not being the answer. Running and hiding could work if you didn't give a shit if people thought you were a little bitch. Honestly, it was middle school, honor wasn't a fucking thing. Everyone sucks and nobody is cool. You didn't need them doing that shit in your name. It wasn't a big deal anyway. Just stop giving them a reaction and then maybe they'll stop._

_While Jeff was on some sort of badly worded tangent, you interrupted him, "Why did you do that? You know I'm used to it, right?"_

_Taken aback by the sudden speech but not upset that you finally spoke up, Jeff paused. Smile falling and brows furrowing, Jeff the dumbass D student lectured you, "You shouldn't be." Speaking firmly yet passionately ,"People shouldn't fucking treat you like that. I'm just making sure that the whole school knows that."_

_You pulled your lips into a tight line, "You didn't have to do that though."_

_"I know," He shrugged with a prideful smile, "I wanted to."_

_"Real self righteous of you," Liu rolled his eyes at his brother's dumbassery, "But you know that mom and dad are gonna kill us when the school calls, right?" It wasn't that Liu was against the idea of standing up for you, it was more of him not wanting to draw their parents attention. Being Jeff's friend automatically put you under the shield of Liu's protection. Which was mostly just him glaring at people who looked at you weird and snapping at them. Though over time, you weren't just Jeff's friend anymore. Liu liked you too. The two of you finding common ground when sitting in Jeff's room, waiting for the boy to get out of the bathroom for twenty minutes, talking about 'deep shit' as two young teenagers._

_Jeff's smile faltered before it decided to stick to hips lips, "Yeah but," He laughed, "It was worth it to see you totally beat the shit outta that guy. N' plus-."_

_You were concerned for them a lot of the time. Jeff would throw himself into whatever physical contact that he could. Liu enabling him by backing him up and always giving him an out._

_"Fuck mom and dad."_

_The next morning as the sun started to crawl way too fast above the treeline, you gave Jeff a big ole talk on diplomacy. You somehow managed to make him pinky promise you under the willow tree. That he'd give trying to not punch anything that was slightly rude to him a try, at least a little while._

_It was weird. Hearing that one of your classmates had died. Even more jarring was that it was a murder. Him, his brothers, his parents, all found dead in their home. Throats slit or bellies violently punctured. It made waves around the school, kids cruelly theorizing that it was Jeff. That he was out there somewhere. Only five months after his disappearance, Liu's disappearance. No one there to step in and beat up anyone who was shitty to you._

**\----**

Getting your keys out of your pocket was the easy part. Hands able to move but wrist movement was severely limited by the ropes. Gritting your teeth, trying to completely concentrate, you fumbled with the warm metal in your fingers. Since you always went home on a shady subway, Noah tried to give you every self defense item under the sun. You usually tried to travel light, often forgetting pepper spray at home. So, he decided that you should have a little knife attached to your key ring. A thin two inch blade that folded out of a wooden handle. Flipping the silver blade free you turned it toward the bindings and started stiffly sawing through the flimsy and old rope. Every second was spent with ears straining to hear footsteps. 

Heart throbbing in your chest and focusing on the rigorous sawing that was strengthened by adrenaline. It felt like forever to get through the first few layers of ropes, tight and having to strain your wrists painfully just to reach them. The teeth of the blade made it a bit easier, catching onto the rope no problem and tearing. It probably was less than ten minutes before the ropes around your wrists gave way. Wiggling your forearms viciously with the new found looseness, you managed to free your arms. 

You didn't have too much wiggle room with your torso. Just enough for you to slowly scoot yourself to the edge, leaning onto the chair's armrest and throwing an arm under the chair, looking for knots to untie. Oh boy, there were knots to untie. Hastily done but intricate. You couldn't undo that shit blind, you might end up tightening the rope. Holding the little knife tight in your hand, you blindly sawed at the rope mass. Putting as much strength as you could into your arm, awkwardly and uncomfortably sawing. 

Whispering, "Come on, come on, come on." To yourself like a prayer for self made deliverance. It took some time but as the stingy and partially moldy ropes to give way in mass but as they did, the bindings around your torso loosened. There was no way you could get through all of the knots though, so once the bindings had been somewhat loosened you made your move.

Bringing your arm back up, shimmying, wiggling, and pulling up the ropes on your torso. It was awkward, kind of painful, and annoying but you were able to get the ropes over your head. Torso finally free, you sat up and looked to your calves tied to the footrest part of the seat. You could actually see these knots. Yeah, you couldn't untie that shit.

Applying the same strategy you did on the knots on the back of the chair, you simply tackled the biggest knot and hoped for the best. Rope after rope, slowly getting looser and looser; closer and closer to freedom. Grunting, you shifted your legs about, pulling them up through the bindings. 

Finally free. 

You took inventory quickly: your torso was aching, wrists felt a bit raw even though they were covered by the fabric of your sleeves, and legs crawling the pinpricks of falling asleep. You were uncomfortable but you wanted to get out of here more than you wanted to wait and reorientate yourself. Time was running fast through your fingers.

Feet touching the ground, holding the knife and keys in your dominant fist, it was time to high tail it the fuck out of here. Tiptoeing over black splatters, holding your breath at the idea of Jack still waiting outside of Claire's's for you in a petty experiment. You just had to hope that he wasn't there and to be ready to run if he was. Peaking your head out of the open entrance of Claire's's, snapping your head back and forth to look for the giant man. There was not a single soul in sight.

It had to be a fucking miracle.

Carefully but quickly stepping out of the rotted pink room, you jogged toward the light that was the front doors of the mall. Coming more and more into view as you approached it. This was going to be over soon. You'd get to go home and report the freaks to the police. 

Then you saw her, about one-hundred yards from you and so, so close to freedom. Mask suddenly coming into view with your approach, peaking out of an abandoned store. You froze in place with baited breath, a cold sweat starting to form over your body. Mouth drying, knees shaking at the very sight of her knowing smile. Had you been caught already?

You waited for her to see you and start yelling but she didn't. Her mask was shifting oddly. Wait.

The side of her body was facing you, Natalie's hands on her waist and leaning into her. _Wait a fucking minute._ Squinting to focus your vision in a stupid act of confusion, you found that you could make out a little nose and moving lips, both of their faces obscured. Her mask was off, turned to the side of her head so she could make out with Natalie, her arms draped dramatically around her neck. You fucking knew it.

Was this what Jane meant by going to cool off and going to take awhile? Huh. 

Anyways, you backed up as quietly as you could. The women seemed very wrapped up in their activities. Who were you to oh so rudely interrupt them? Also you weren't going to try running passed them to get to the doors. Natalie was fast and you didn't want to see what she'd do to you if she caught you. Jane pried open the doors of a train just to try to get to you. You didn't want to face their wrath in the slightest.

There had to be another way out.

Spinning on the heels of your sneakers, you jogged back the way you came. Slowing down around Claire's to see if Jack was hanging around. He thankfully wasn't, so you picked up the pace once more. Too afraid to full on sprint because the sound of your feet pounding on the floor so harshly would be sure to attract their attention. You wanted to move quick and act like Solid Snake. Instead of dummy thick cheeks clapping, you had the soles of your sneakers to make sure didn't make a sound.

You peaked your head around corners and kept an ear out for any sounds. Cringing whenever you thought your footsteps got too loud. All you'd found so far were the bathrooms, which you did make a quick and fear filled pit stop in to take a piss. Finding that there was running water which was very odd. Did they redirect plumbing into the mall or something? You didn't think much on it. Using water and probably expired hand sanitizer to wash your hands. Bending your head into the sink to lap up as much water as you could stomach.

Scooting out of the bathroom, you continued your journey. Passing by mostly closed off shops. The few that were open were completely looted. Nothing but undesirables on the torn floors. The biggest oddity was when you passed Hot Topic. There was an air mattress in the middle of the emptied store. A blanket thrown over it, an open suitcase by it's side. Filled with personal belongings you didn't feel like going through.

You kept on moving, seeing that the mall had a lower level, but the only staircases you'd seen so far had crumbled so badly that it was impossible to safely descend them. Your heart pounding in your chest, ready to bolt at any sound made by someone other than you. Constantly checking over your shoulder and looking for the bright white light that same with the exit. 

Another oddity was found as you were passing the broken glass display window of a Foot Locker. A shoe store with no shoes left on it's shelves. A green hammock hanging from the metal shelves. A crusty and singed stuffed animal sitting on the intertwined ropes. You couldn't tell what it was without a closer look, which you weren't going to risk getting. Thrown about the floor of the store were clothes, suspiciously brown stained t-shirts catching your eye. A dull green backpack under the hammock, bringing back bittersweet memories.

You didn't want to think about the brothers, who were apparently the reason that you were here. Continuing onward, still paranoid and looking for some way out, you found something. Peaking around a corner you found a vast room that was lined with fast food places, a food court. Bright white light coming from all the way across the room, a way out.

There was one big obstacle though. Smack dab in the middle of the food court was Jack. You couldn't believe what you were seeing at first, mouth hanging open in shock. Blinking dumbly as your eyes focused on what was on the table in front of him. 

His blue mask hanging from a little loop on his jacket, a light gray band around his upper arm holding a blade that shone bright off the white light that you somehow hadn't noticed before. Some kind of scalpel, maybe used to cut open the body. Then you noticed something on the table beside the body. Big, long, and teeth covered in blood, a fucking bone saw. Neatly set to the side as he was ready to feast on the body with utensils you didn't know the origins of. Hands free to hold a little ladle and chopsticks. 

A body. It was a human body. Chest cracked open, right down the sternum. Ribs parted with their limbs limply splayed every which way. You could smell in from here, thick and pungent, blood. The red substance leaked out of the body on either side of it's torso, pouring over onto the table and eventually dripping to the ground below. A small pool under his tall boots. 

Shellshocked and stomach feeling like it was thrown into a washing machine on high, you watched him viciously tug at a thick string of pale pink. The body squelching and wetly ripping as the small intestine was torn up from the open cavity. Jack dipping the ladle into the bowl he had made out of the body, shifting it around a moment before pulling it up. Absolutely dripping with blood and various viscera. Carefully pouring it onto the intestine like it was a sauce. 

You were completely enamored, mouth hanging open as you watched the man bring the chopsticks up to his lips. Feeding the wet string of an organ into his mouth neatly, not getting a single drop of blood on his trench coat. Though you weren't right next to him, you could faintly hear him chewing. Honestly, it sounded like any other mukbang.

A hand came up to your mouth at the thought, all of it painfully real, the way Jack was smiling down at the dead man made your stomach clench. You carefully backed up, keeping your eyes on Jack to make sure the somewhat blind, but also not blind, man didn't look your way. Numbly walking back the way you came, both exits you'd found so far completely blocked off by the people that you didn't want to attempt sneaking past. There had to be a way out. 

But for now, you saw a trashcan and you made your way over to it as fast as you could. Grabbing the plastic rims of the open can, letting loose a stream of watery vomit into the foul smelling black mass. Fermented trash only making you wretch, stream of vomit growing stronger. In shock from seeing a real life corpse. There was no faking that scent, that actively flowing blood, the realism of human guts. You'd seen that shit online but seeing it in person, being eaten like a casual meal was horrific. 

Coughing and sputtering as the last of the water you'd drunken in the bathroom dribbled past your lips, what a waste. Bitter and disguising, mixed with bile the color of your last meal. Which had probably been over a whole day by now, time a muddied mess in your mind. Sucking in air, finally able to breathe, you pushed yourself away from the trashcan. Appetite lost but you were weak, lightheaded.

You needed something to eat and you had no idea how long you were going to be here or how long you'd be outside looking for help. You needed to look after your health, eat something even with the horribly nauseating thoughts of Jack eating a dead person in your head.

Ears peeled for any walking or talking, you wandered back the way you came. Having effectively made zero progress in your escape, just adding another vaguely traumatizing memory to your repertoire. Walking past the Foot Locker again, something caught your eye. White and orange sticking out of the dull green backpack. You looked both ways down the corridor before throwing yourself into the makeshift bedroom. Pulling the familiar package out of the backpack, a dry package of ramen. Something to eat.

Your mouth was bone dry. Vomiting the water left a horrible sandpapery feel to your tongue. You didn't think you'd be able to eat it without something to drink.

This wasn't supposed to turn into an operation to sneak back to the bathroom after tearing the package open. Stuffing the now empty package back into it's original place and taking off with a block of dry noddles and a little flavor packet. In the bathroom once again, sweating and heart beating fast. No doors or exits in sight. 

Pouring cold water over the block before sprinkling the flavor packet over it. Biting into the semi-dry block. Trying to satiate your hunger and fuel your body. Swallowing every mouthful with purpose, fighting to keep it down as you remembered the thick scent of a corpse, the way the organs squelched and popped in his mouth full of canines. Taking sips of the suspiciously sourced tap water to rehydrate yourself. Sitting on the dirty counter top and wondering where your life went wrong. You didn't do anything to deserve this, other than know a pair of murderers for thirteen years. But it wasn't like it was your fault they did what they did. You couldn't have foreseen it just like everybody else. Neighbors saying there was always something very very wrong with the boys and that they knew it'd happen but they didn't see it. Just bullshitting and getting all teary eyed for the news cameras. 

It was genuinely the worst most stressful meal you'd ever had. Every crunch making you feel like you were louder than an earthquake. But nobody ever came. Not full in the slightest and still fighting to keep the food down, you turned the tap off and carefully snuck out of the bathroom. It was enough for now. The next time you'd eat you could get McDonald's or some other super unhealthy shit with Noah. 

You'd gone inside of the few stores that weren't blocked off to look for back exits. All you found were changing rooms without doors. Looted, vandalized, and absolutely trashed stores. You were practically back to square one. Having gone in a careful yet fearful circle, rechecking on the exits to find that they were all still there. Having to keep your hand over your mouth when you peaked at Jack eating. Having to keep from gagging at the women still making out. They were on a rickety bench now, Jane on Natalie's lap and just going at it. Sounding like two wild animals with how much growling was going on. Geez. 

Standing across from Claire's, right under the sign for the appropriately named _'HANK'S BALLS'._ You ran a hand through your (h/l) (h/c) locks and let out a shuddering sigh. All you found in there was spots where arcade machines used to be and the nastiest ball pit you'd ever seen. The once colorful plastic balls were somewhat deflated and covered in a thick layer of dust and dirt. Smelling heavily of asbestos, mothballs, with a tinge of piss for spice. All you could wonder was if someone in the distant past peed in the pit. 

The slight tremor of the ground alerted you to Jack's incoming presence. There was also loud chatter, increasing in volume by the second. "-our saying is that _I can_ cut her?" 

"Don't kill her but yes." Jane lowly confirmed as your heart pounded in your chest. Sounds approaching from both sides.

"What's with the sudden change'a heart?" Natalie drawled as you looked for an escape route. 

"I didn't have one. I just didn't want to deal with her screaming so much at first. She _deserves_ to suffer, Natalie," Spoken with hateful conviction, "Just looking at her makes me want to punch something. Mainly her."

_"Ouh là là_ , Janey baby! I _love_ it when you talk like that." Natalie cackled playfully as Jack's footsteps grew ever louder, "I'll make you proud and cut 'er up real nice, just for you."

"Just don't kill her." Spoken evenly but with contentedness. "We need her alive, for now."

You turned tail and threw yourself into ' _HANK'S BALLS'._ Trying to run as quietly as you could on the filthy space themed carpet. Tightening your grip on your keys so they wouldn't jingle as much as you moved. Your options weren't very good or fun. Behind the counter where a register had once been or in the nasty ball pit. For the first all they had to do was lean over the wood to see you, it was a garbage hiding spot. So you had to steel yourself to slink into the pit. 

Taking a shuddering breath of semi-fresh air before carefully kneeling down, sinking your feet into the pit that audibly shifted around you. One thing to your advantage was that the pit was not immediately visible from the entrance, around a little corner. You had some cover at the very least. 

Cringing as your knees sunk into the pit of deflated balls, you heard Jane call out to the audibly approaching Jack, "You left her alone?!"

The soft plastic bumping and sliding as you bent your knees, having found the floor of the pit two feet down.

"Relax. I made sure she couldn't get away." Jack spoke as you further lowered yourself into the pit, the scent of asbestos growing stronger as you sunk down.

"I trust you didn't eat her?" Jane sighed as you cringed even harder, putting your arms into the pit.

"Maybe I did." Jack jested as you sucked your lips into your mouth, trying not to gag. Butt hitting the bottom of the pit and crusty balls up to your chin. You had to lay down if you wanted to completely disappear.

"It's alright Janey," Natalie consoled as Jane grumbled out insults you couldn't hear, "She's just fine in there, but soon she won't be!" She finished with a cruel laugh as you deeply frowned, pushing your body forward slowly to sink down. "Ooh (Y/n)!" They were so loud, just across the way. Your head fell below the deflated balls. There's a first time for everything and this was your first time smelling so much like you belonged in an abandoned mall. "I've got a surprise for y- _Uh-oh."_

"What do you mean _'uh-oh'?"_ Jane's voice has a sudden edge to it as your head further made the journey down to the floor of the pit. It was lukewarm, which was pretty fucking nasty. "What hap- _JACK!"_

 _"_ Hm." They all talked so loud you could hear them from here, under two feet of mold and plastic. "I guess she got away."

_"YOU GUESS?! SHE'S NOT THERE! WHAT IS THERE TO GUESS?"_ Jane screeched, muffled yet loud and clear. Sounding like she was about to snap the man's neck. You tensed in your hiding spot, she only got scarier by the second.

"It's fine." Jack stayed completely cool under her hot rage, "We'll find her and tie her up again."

_"I- I- DO YOU NOT SEE THE PROBLEM HERE?!"_ Even though you had a little knife on your key ring, you hardly felt comforted by it.

"I can't see." Your heart was dangerously pounding in your chest just hearing her so angry. Adrenaline flying through your system at the thought of her finding you, what she would do. You had to actively stop yourself from stimming just in case you'd shift the balls too loudly. 

Natalie snickered much to Jane's chagrin, "Don't encourage him!"

"I'm sorry I just," She wheezed while trying to cover her ass, "It's cute that she thinks that she can get away, you know?"

Jane huffed at Natalie's obvious attempt to not piss her off after slipping up. Not working in the slightest because she barked, "We have to find her _now."_

**THUMP.**

The ground shook, the balls around you shifting. As the sound and vibration dissipated Jack said, "Hm. It appears that she's gotten away." The man eater sounded mildly impressed with you were left confused and disgusted. The spark of a theory forming in your head that the sound or vibration helped him 'see'. But you had no confirmation and you were in no rush to have him see you one way or another.

"No shit Sherlock." Jane's voice shook with rage, past the initial shock but now ruminating in absolute hate. Ready to unleash it on you the second she laid those lifeless black eyes upon you. "Can you smell her?"

_What?_

You could hardly hear it, the obnoxious sniffing of stale air. "No."

"Try again, harder." Jane demanded.

"My sense of smell isn't that good. I'd only be able to find her if I had a better idea of what she smelled like." Jack deadpanned, as if saying that was completely normal.

"Smell the chair then." Natalie interjected in their little squabble.

"It doesn't work like that." Jack informed her as you reeled in confusion. This was getting freakier by the second.

"Then make it work! Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?" She teasingly laughed.

" _I'm_ the smart one." Jane corrected in growl.

"Uh-huh." Jack sounded like he didn't believe the woman at all.

There was a lull of silence in their conversation. You could feel the tension even from the bottom of a ball pit. The air electrified with sheer distaste amongst them.

"Really dropped the ball huh, lard ass?" Natalie chided rudely to break the silence.

"You could have stayed as well," Jack cooly pointed out, "But you felt the need to attend to more _important matters."_ So Jack was aware of his partners activities. Either they did this all the time and were that predictable or he knew how to put two and two together. 

_"Va te faire foutre."_ Natalie snapped in a foreign tongue.

"And _you_ ," They were all dangerous and crazy, you hoped this erupted into a physical fight, "Could have waited a few more minutes." It was getting pettier by the second, you wouldn't be surprised.

"No I couldn't have." Jack didn't elaborate, a tinge of spiteful joy in his tone. They really hated eachother, huh? Well, Jane and Natalie seemed to get along just fine.

"Tch," Natalie huffed, "Fatass."

_"Ugh,"_ You could just hear the snarl on her lips, "We need to find her _now._ Alright," Her tone shifted into one more work oriented, "Split up. She couldn't have gone far," She thought aloud, "Nat and I were at the front. You were at the east exit." She sighed, exasperation evident, "The only other exits are downstairs. Nat-"

"Yes ma'am?" The woman obnoxiously awaited instruction.

 _"_ Head downstairs." If Natalie could go downstairs then so could you. There was some sort of way to get down there. But where?

"I'm all over it, dollface!" What a corny fucking nickname you thought as you heard the _ti_ _p, tap, tip tap_ of her boots slapping against the tile. Running right passed you toward the direction of Foot Locker. Well, Foot Locker was around a corner but now you now knew the general direction a working stairwell was in. Then again, if they were split up maybe you could get to one of the exits without any problems.

"And Jack-" His footsteps started up, heading the other other way. Staying around for her to give him orders but not sticking around to listen to them. Petty. "Of course. Of course." Jane sighed, a thick undertone of anger in her voice. You hoped to god she didn't find you.

You stayed frozen in the deflated ball pit for who knows how long. Tensing as they shouted your name with either sadism, rage, or mild irritation. Switching up where they were supposed to be searching from time to time. Natalie coming upstairs to call out for you, Jack stomping past. 

You realized there might be some bugs in the pit. Maggots or spiders. Then again, getting crawled on or bitten was a million times better then getting your face bashed in by a short and rage filled lesbian.

It was the morning or afternoon when you first came into the pit but now it was getting darker and darker. You were petrified, frozen in the pit. Too scared to test your luck and make a run for it. So you stayed in the pit with the vague plan that once you were sure they left the mall, you'd make a run for it. They had to leave eventually if they didn't find your hiding spot. Thinking that you'd left and go hunting for you.

They didn't leave the mall. Either thinking what you were or having some innate knowledge that you didn't. Maybe there was something going on with the doors. You didn't know. All you knew was the sheer terror you felt when Jane came into ' _HANK'S BALLS'_ , the _click clack_ of her heels dulled by the carpet but still deafening in your panic fueled brain. Your mind racing as you tensed, wondering if she could see your footprints on the carpet. Apparently she couldn't. Giving the place a general look around sighing and muttering to herself. 

You had to stop yourself from doing anything even slightly audible, including breathing, as she stood at the foot of the ball pit. The opposite side of you but only mere feet away. Under the layers of moldy plastic you couldn't see anything as evening set over the mall.

Apparently she could still see, letting out a, _"Disgusting."_ As she put a gloved hand in the pit. Throwing balls about, digging up the end of the pit as your heart pounded so hard in your chest you could have sword she'd hear it.

"Gah!" You heard her yank her arm from the pit, shaking about and quietly screaming. You supposed she came across a large spider or touched a particularly nasty bit of mold. Either way, you were thankful you choose such a repulsive hiding spot as it completely turned her off of the idea of further searching. At least for now. 

The woman muttering to herself, "No, she'd have to be an idiot and street rat if she hid in there." Jane seemed to hate you a lot but was giving you quite the benefit of the doubt. People did crazy things they normally wouldn't do in stressful situations. Your hiding spot saved your ass for the time being. If she grew more desperate and impatient she or one of the others would throw every bit of rot and colorful plastic away if it meant they even had a chance of finding you. 

You let out an almost audible sigh of relief as she left. Then you realized something. If you wanted to get out you'd have to leave the pit which could prove to be noisy if you did it too quickly. God. The task was simple in concept but it sounded so tiring to your mentally exhausted self. Exhaustion seemed to consume you as you lay still in the darkness. Even with fear coursing through your veins, you were still so tired. Trying to fight off sleep for the longest time before your heavy eyelids shut one last time and you fell asleep in a moldy ball pit for the first time.


	7. 6 - On The Lookout

_Saturday night, the first weekend of summer vacation. The welts Nickolas gave him had probably disappeared by now. That was the least of the boy’s problems though. The school called and the second you parted ways to head to your respective homes, the boys had to deal with some shit. Not texting back or picking up calls, totally grounded._

_Knowing their parents, the boys would be on ‘house arrest’ for weeks. Knowing the boys, that didn’t mean jackshit._

_He threw pebbles at your window. Incredible cliche, but you loved it. Opening your window with a smile, holding out a hand for him to take as he struggled to climb inside, even though he'd done it a hundred times. Not wanting to wake your family, you had to keep shushing him. The chance of them snitching to Jeff’s parents was there, but it was also kind of exhilarating. Doing something wrong and it being your little secret._

_Sitting on your bed sheets and flipping through the pages of a playboy he stole. Bringing it over to your house the longest time ago, the both of your young eyes taking in the sights with wonder. He left it there, completely forgetting about it. You hastily hid it under your bed before anyone could see._

_Now the two of you were ogling at it once again. Out of sheer boredom. He didn’t feel up to Youtube or a movie. So, you pulled the magazine from under your bed, confidently repeating the same phrase for the millionth time this week, “Please excuse my dark ambient swag.” You read the phrase online and couldn’t stop yourself even if you wanted to._

_“Man,” You hummed while looking at yet another scantily clad lady, “Girls are so pretty.” Flipping the page with one hand while idly shaking the other. There was no embarrassment or shame when it came to this sort of thing. It was just you and Jeff, thick as thieves and no secret too embarrassing._

_“Yeah, ahaha,” Jeff scratched the back of his neck, catching your eye as you looked up from the magazine, “Girls are pretty.”_

_You nodded in agreement, a soft smile on your lips, “Really pretty.”_

_Jeff hesitated a moment before coming out with it, “What about guys?” He broke the brief eye contact and looked to his crisscrossed feet._

_“Oh yeah,” You shrugged, “Guys are cute too.” Jeff instantly perked up, looking back to you with a mouth agape, “Just thought that we were only talking about girls right now though. What about you?"_

_"About me?" Jeff pointed to himself._

_"Yeah, do you like guys?" You asked, Liu coming to mind. Jeff had yet to talk about how he_ ' _s been_ _doing._

_"No!" Jeff barked way too loud before quieting himself, "Gross, no."_

_You hummed, "Okay." Switching topics, "Hey, does Liu know you're here?"_

_He couldn't exactly text back. Their parents were good at one thing other than being terrible people, hiding their phones when they were in trouble._

_"Nah." Jeff dismissed as he shifted his weight back, idly glancing out the dark window._

_"He's gonna worry." Sometimes you wondered if Jeff really understood the extent that Liu cared for him. He seemed to understand it on a surface level, but didn't really seem to get that Liu would do just about anything for him. Absolutely anything._

_"He'll be fine." Jeff dismissed as you frowned at him. Opening your mouth to try to convince him to try to remember to tell his brother where he was going. The last time Jeff showed up unexpected Liu showed up a few minutes later, looking for his brother. It wasn't annoying just alarming to having fifteen year old climb up to your window and start knocking out of nowhere. Jeff didn_ ' _t let you get a word in, casual smile falling as he looked intently out your window. "(Y/n)." Sheer horror befalling his face, eyes bulging from his skull, a frown twitching on his lips._

_Jeff had never looked so afraid._

_A hand snatching your sleeve and pulling you forward. You supposed something outside caught his eye, so you turned your head toward the window._

_"Do you see that?" He hollowly asked. The two of you looking to the forest line that both of your homes sat by._

_"See what?" It was so dark you could hardly make out anything._

_He pointed to the dead center of the closed window, "That. Right there."_

 _All you saw were the trees. Outlines of thin and thick black. "No." You cocked your head, squinting in hopes that_ ' _d focus your vision._

_Jeff jerked his arm, pointing with more of a purpose. Voice twinging with angry fear, "Don't you see that?"_

_No matter how hard you tried to focus your eyes, you could see nothing but the thin lines of trees. "See what?"_

_Maybe if he could explain the thing you could catch on._

_"How do you not fucking see **him**?!" Jeff spoke with an agitated weightiness. _

_You tired to look for a human figure but couldn't find even a hint of one, you glanced nervously at Jeff. "You sure someone's out there?" If anyone was out there it'd be Liu coming to check on him but you didn't see a single soul._

_"Yes I'm sure you fucking idiot!" He barked, his voice cracking, still pointing and hoping that you'd see it._

_In all honesty, you were taken aback. Jeff was abrasive and rough around the edges, but he usually didn't genuinely insult you. But right now he sounded like he really thought you were a fucking idiot. Having explained to you multiple times before that if he said an insult in a certain context or tone, he didn't really mean it. This wasn't one of those contexts._

_Lips pulled in a tight line, growing impatient rather quickly as you processed his insult, he barked once more, "Look harder! **He's** right fucking there!" Voice cracking again and rising an octave when you both supposed to try and stay quiet._

_You didn't know what was going on but you wanted him to stop being so scared. All you had were your words, "I don't see anybody. I don't think anyone's out there, man."_

_"God!" Jeff's eyes snapped to yours, angrily spilling out word vomit, "Are you fucking blind or dumb, (Y/n)?"_

_"I-" You blinked, he was easy to anger but he didn't genuinely say things like this to you, "I'm sorry?"_

_No matter what he saw or what he was going through, you wanted to help but you had a hard time being yelled at, you wanted to cover your ears and clam up, but you didn't want Jeff to yell more. Especially when you had no idea what he was looking at or why it made him so upset, you wanted to help him._

_"Tch," Jeff huffed, "You're useless."_

_You blinked at him, hurt. Why was he getting like this all over some trick of the eye? Maybe his parents went too hard on him again and now he was taking his anger out on you. If he was taking his anger out on you, it wasn't fair. You didn't do anything wrong and he had no right to be a dick for no reason._

_Frozen, you watched as he launched himself off your bed and stomped over to your window. You thought he was going to leave but instead he grabbed your curtains and yanked them shut. The view of the dark woods outside gone but Jeff was still tense. Breaths shuddering and hands shaking._

_If he was so angry with you, why didn't he just go? Why stay when you were clearly pissing him off?_

_Head turning over his shoulder with a deep frown and furrowed brows. The two of you staying like that for a few minutes. You supposed he was trying to calm himself down after his outburst. You waited for an apology even though he rarely gave them out. Upset but not willing to tell him to get the fuck out. Something was wrong and you were going to be there for your boy no matter what._

_Letting go of the curtains, he stumbled back over to the bed. Throwing himself on his back, laying across your bed and looking up to the ceiling. A sheen of sweat on his pasty face, eyes still wide, still terrified. He didn't say anything as you adjusted yourself to lay beside him. The both of you reeling from the past few minutes events, upset and not knowing how to properly communicate the intricacies of feelings._

_There was solidarity in mutual shitty feelings. He stayed because you were a home to him more than his actual home. Whatever it was that upset him, he didn't want to see it or face it. He'd rather lay with you in bliss he couldn't quite have. Things said in the heat of the moment that he didn't mean, but didn't take back._

_Scared and confused, you didn't know what to do or say. You were just two kids laying on a twin sized mattress. Against the whole world and puberty. Even if it was shitty now, it'd get better. You'd always have each other's back._

**\----**

Laying on your back with no one next to you. On a surface much less comfortable than your old mattress. Confused for a split second as to why all you could see were muddied colors and why your back hurt so goddamn bad. You were still in the hell mall. It was quiet.

You laid there for a few minutes, keeping an ear out for any nearby voices or footsteps but you didn't hear any. Yet you were still too scared to move too quickly out of the pit. They could very well still be in mall. So you shimmied yourself up and out of the pit inch by agonizing inch. Little knife still in hand, feeling only slightly comforted by it's presence, thinking to Jack's bone saw that was the size of your forearm.

Head above the layers of grime and plastic, your eyes adjusted to the light. You could see the filthy floor adorned with little space ships, it was daytime. Carefully pulling yourself up from the pit, constantly glancing to the enamel pins for some sort of comfort. They were all monsters. Many people theorizing that they ate babies and lived to tear sheep to shreds but they'd never do this to you. You couldn't help but try and comfort yourself by imagining the same cryptid you called overrated helping out of the ball pit. Letting you ride his back as he flew out of the broken roof of the mall. 

That's sure be nice but it wasn't going to happen. You were all alone. Having to get yourself out of this all on your own. 

Peaking your head just barely out of the door, looking both ways down the corridor. No one. You power walked out of ' _HANK'S BALLS'._ Quickly deciding that you should probably stay low to the ground. If they were wandering about they just might see you walking around before you saw them.

You resorted to awkwardly walking, practically bent in half behind the divider. The corridors were split in two with pathways in between them. Between the pathways were open floor blacked off by solid plastic railings. Through the open floor you could see the downstairs which you'd still yet to find the way to. But you had a good clue to go off of, it was in the vague direction of Foot Locker.

You tensed as you heard incoming _click, clack, tip, tap,_ of the women's shoes on the dusty tiles. Looking ahead and behind you while they grew closer, you couldn't see them. On the opposite side of the corridor, voices quickly coming into earshot as you froze.

"-t's fine! Most of the doors are jammed." Natalie consoled, "And Jack set up those weird little chime thingies. If she left we would have heard it."

You resumed your shuffle as they grew closer to one of the pathways that connected the two sides. A good couple yards behind you. If they rounded the corner before you got to the bend, they'd see you.

Jane huffed in frustration, sounding hardly comforted, "It's just pissing me off that we haven't found that dimwitted weasel." The way she growled out the insult that sounded like it belonged in a fifties cartoon was alarming. As your heart raced in fear, you heard them on the pathway, the one connecting Claire's and HANK'S BALLS. "Just-" Jane sighed, "God, we're fucking incompetent." 

You rounded the corner while keeping your lips sucked into your mouth. Wanting to comfort yourself by echoing whatever came to mind but you'd rather be scared and uncomfortable then be stabbed and tied up again.

"We're not incompetent! She's just uh," Natalie thought a moment, "Slippery?" You were smart, not slicked in lube.

"Same thing." Jane grumbled, clearly at the end of her tether. 

Their footsteps grew quieter as their shoes hit the carpet just as you snuck around the plastic corner. Putting a hand over your heart in momentary relief.

"Help me look through this _thing_." Jane's voice grew quieter as they entered the abandoned establishment. They probably had been looking all night or took a break, individually guarding the exits. You didn't know, but you found it amusing that the woman fetched Natalie to help her look through the oh so scary ball pit. Then again, it was fucking foul and you felt the occasional spider crawl over your skin. Dry mold settling on your chest and shoulders, mostly falling away as you exited the pit.

As you hobbled away under the cover of the railings, you realized how stupidly lucky you were. Getting out and clambering away just at the right time. Maybe Mothman was by your side in spirit, being your fuzzy guardian angel. More accurately, guardian cryptid. 

But you weren't completely lucky. In your panic you went the wrong fucking way. If you wanted to get to the front exit then you'd have to pass by the store they were in. It could work if they were distracted but you were way too terrified to chance it.

Back aching from the bent over walk, but you kept up with it. Not wanting to but it was the smart thing to do. Passing by Foot Locker and looking down the hallway, finding jack-shit. Visiting the bathroom again to take yet another fear filled piss and a few sips of water. Going into the few stores that were opened up. Finding rat shit, cobwebs, and graffiti. 

The best thing you found so far was an abandoned, crushed, yet still perfectly packaged Twinkie. You thought what the hell, it was breakfast that supposedly didn't expire. Tearing the dirty wrapping off carefully as you exited the Forever Twenty-one. Checking if the coast was clear as you bit into the hardest yet grainiest thing you'd ever had the displeasure of having in your mouth. Chewing with a face twisted in agony, you forced yourself to deal with the hellish texture on your tongue. You needed to eat and couldn't afford to be picky when you didn't know when you'd eat next.

There was a slight shudder to the ground as you finished the Twinkie, swallowing with a fearful cringe. He probably wasn't that close but there was the small chance he could 'see' you. Maybe not if the shake was so faint, you might have time to get away or inside something to shield you from his sight like the ball pit did.

Then you saw it. 

The Toys R Us across the way had been overlooked by you yesterday, but now so low to the ground you saw that the metal grate had actually been lifted a foot or so off the ground. Some mall stairways were in their bigger stores owned by huge cooperate chains, there was a chance that the stairway to the downstairs was in there. It may not immediately lead to the exit but you'd be closer to it.

There was the exit in the food court but the thing was, the footsteps that grew in volume were coming from the direction of that area. This was your best bet. You couldn't be slow but you couldn't be too fast either. Be slow and he'd see you as you crossed the corridor. Be too fast as he'd hear your footstep and alert the others.

You made a power walking break for it. Looking between the gate of intertwined metal in front of you and to the man you saw down the corridor once you passed by the visual blockade that was the plastic railing. Stomping down the hall yards away, head not pointed exactly at you. But it was in your general direction, the sound of his footsteps louder and the shake of the floor stronger. Maybe he couldn't see a clear picture yet?

Moving forward another step, you gasped as you tripped over your own feet. Withholding a yelp but it was too late. You hit the ground, landing on your forearms and knees with a loud _thud._ With wide eyes, feet away form the entrance of the store, you snapped your head to Jack who hadn't stopped his gait in the slightest.

Unblinking eyes snapping to meet yours, "Thought I saw something over here." He commented absently as he approached. 

You didn't bother getting to your feet when the entrance to the store was so close. Scrambling on your hands and knees to get under the grate as the man came ever closer. Power walk of doom shaking the floor beneath your hands. 

"What was that!?" Natalie shouted over the thunderous stomping of feet behind you. If you could hear her over that she had to have been close, that had to mean Jane was too. A chill ran down your spine at the thought of the masked woman. Full of absolute hate for you, wanting to see you hurt.

Jack didn't respond to the question as you desperately threw yourself under the metal grate. Gasping and panting in terror as you quickly slid under the metal, his boot landing right beside your hand as you used it to push the rest of yourself under. Jack could have picked up the pace, he could have crushed your hand under his boot to keep you in place. Drag you back out from the confines of safety. But he didn't. Far too lazy to do anything too quickly. Maybe still spiting Jane and Natalie for being rude to him, so he'd let the chase go on awhile longer. 

Though you highly doubted someone as huge as him could fit under the gap. At least it'd take quite awhile. 

Catching your breath for a few moments as he stood behind the metal barrier, you saw the incoming forms of the women running up behind him. "Shit." You muttered as you pushed yourself up to your feet, watching Jack bend down and grab the bottom of the grate with two huge hands. He couldn't hope to lift that thing. It had to be rusted in place or jammed by now, if not, it was still heavy.

"Is she in there!?" Natalie called as you snapping your head around, looking for a possible staircase. Staring to run forth, turning your back on the terrifying trio.

_**GROOOAAAN!**_

You whipped your head over your shoulder instantly, the metal around Jack's hands caved in. It wouldn't slide up, so instead Jack lifted and bent the metal higher and higher. You gawked at the sight like a fish, it was as impressive as it was mortifying. 

"I'm just lifting this because," The metal was almost peeled up above his head now, "I feel like it."

You looked away, tearing around the colorful path. Hopefully his painfully dry sarcasm would stump the women long enough for you to get a head start. 

"Move it!" Jane snapped, you could just envision her trying to shove Jack out of the way as he lazily sauntered inside. Or not. 

"(Y/n)!" Natalie called with false adoration, each of their distinct footsteps sounding on the chipped plastic path. "Come'ere!" 

"No!" You shouted as you tore around the first corner you came across. A tall shelf of colorful unlooted jars caught your eye dead ahead. Right before it was the distinct railings of stairs. Freedom.

_"(Y/N)!"_ Jane yelled, voice ripping angrily though the air. Heart feeling like it skipped a beat at call of your name, she sounded like she wanted to crush your body like a kid named Kyle would crush monster energies against their forehead. 

You needed to do something to slow them down. You didn't know where the downstairs exit was. Time wasn't on your side but you could buy yourself some if you played your limited set of cards right. If they got too close you still had an ittybitty knife to stab them with, and you had the store around you. 

You snatched the black cylinder sitting atop a mostly empty display shelf without thinking. Observing your new found weapon for a moment, reading the yellow text that said, ' _Toxic Waste'._ If it only was some kind of acid, but since it was in a toy store it was probably just filled with a watery goo that smelled like ass. It was something to throw, a small shot to slow at least one of them down with the item to the face. If you landed your shot that is.

Natalie was the first to tear around the corner. A snarl of a smile on her lips, the x's in her cheeks stretching and shifting. A barely audible yet ever present _tick, tock, tick, tock,_ coming from her odd eye.

Calling out an admittedly good one-liner, "Play time's over!"

You instantly panicked as Jack rounded the corner behind her, keeping up well with the sprinting woman. Letting out an involuntary shriek, you threw the fist sized can in their general direction. It didn't hit either of them, didn't even come close. Clattering to the ground while it's lid popped off with the force. A sickly dark green sludge slapping onto the ground. 

"Holy shit!" Natalie cackled while easily side stepping out of the way, "Nice throw!" Clearly enjoying your failure and very obvious fear.

Jack simply stepped over the disgusting mess while Jane finally turned the corner. If anything you were thankful she was so insistent on wearing heels, they really slowed her down. Still, running in heels was a feat and it wasn't like it was an awkward jog, it was more like her throwing herself forward and running with all her might.

Upon seeing you, Jane started to yell, "You stupid littl- _Huh?"_ She faulted, jerking to an awkward stop and waving her arms at her side to balance herself. Black boot landing right in the middle of the mess. "Goddamn it!" She growled, harshly tearing her expensive looking heel from the gooey mass. The green stretching off of the floor and obnoxiously sticking to her shoe. Starting to run once more but not at the same speed, right foot sticking way to long to the floor whenever she put it down. Slowing her to an awkward hobble.

Jack looked over his shoulder, "Wow." Was all he said before he looked back to you. 

Natalie held in a wheezy laugh. As much of a white knight for Jane as she came off to be, it was still pretty fucking funny to see the put together woman struggle with a child's toy on her shoe.

The snarl of annoyance filled you with dread but also a tinge of delight. It worked! Sure, there was a good chance you were going to get caught and your ass kicked but you were still in the race. Not down and out yet and to boot, you felt pride at putting the snappy woman who hated you for no reason in her place. Out of fear but quite a lot of joy, you giggled. The boost in morale having you put some pep in your step in the form of moving quicker. 

Jane slowed, hopping forward on one leg while struggling to yank her shoe off the other. The affected shoe finally off, she continued to run but it was even more awkward. One heel having her foot inches off the ground while the other just had a sock on. One leg artificially too long to move effectively. You only laughed harder at her struggle. You didn't consider yourself the meanest person in the world, but she kind of kidnapped you, punched you, and terrified you. You were more than allowed to laugh at her.

You were so close to the stairs with Natalie and Jack a few yards behind. If the exit was at or near the bottom you just might have a chance to feel the sun on your face. Though you had no idea where you'd go after that. It's not like they were confined to only stay in the mall. Getting out was just the big step of many that led to you escaping.

Holding her shoe tight in her hand with her mask snapping to you, she threw her arm back while snapping, " _You little shit!"_

Throwing the goo covered heel speeding in your direction. Jack paying it no mind while Natalie watched it fly in and arc over her head. Your foot fell onto the first step of the stairs as her heel flew above your head. You felt yourself sigh in relief that didn't last very long.

**_Smash!_**

Not stopping your decent, you looked up to the shelf before the mouth of the stairs. The black shoe having missed it's mark, but the throw wasn't a complete waste. Shattering the center of a glass jar withholding a colorful mass of balls. Tearing down the stairs, glancing behind yourself to see a stream of colorful dime sized balls fall. 

_Boing! Boing! Boing!_

You grabbed the grubby railing for support just in case while you continued down. Some of the balls bouncing up and pelting you in the back. Hitting the bandaged cuts and the back of your poor little head. Bouncing obnoxiously beside you as you moved, a few flying between your legs. Your grip on the railing coming in handy as a particular set of yellow and green balls hit the stair you just threw your foot onto. Slipping a moment before you steadied yourself, reorientating yourself and continuing. The bouncy balls going down the stairs faster than you, some on stairs you'd yet to descend. Others sitting at the bottom of the stairs, others still bouncing and rolling toward the white light. You didn't see the doors but the light emitting from them around the corner was enough.

The exit was so close.

_"Je ne vais plus te lâcher!"_ You'd momentarily forgotten about how fucking fast Natalie was. Looking back while carefully avoiding a spot littered with balls. She wasn't on the stairs directly behind you or at the top of them like Jack was. Instead she'd jumped, flying a few feet over your head. You watched with a mouth agape as she spun around in the air landing a few stairs in front of you with a grin of sadistic victory. Taking a step up a stair while shouting and not paying attention to the balls on the step, "Got'ch- _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"_

She managed the jump, turn midair, and stuck the landing on the stairs, but was brought tumbling down by pink bouncy balls. Falling back, spinning in a horrible forced cartwheel down step after step. You carefully but quickly descending at the stairs shook and shuddered from the harsh impacts as well as Jack's boots. When you looked to the stairs to check on Natalie, you saw that he'd somewhat slowed his walk, careful not to slip and fall on the plastic. Buying you more time.

You avoided ball after ball, holding onto the railing like it was your lifeline in case you fucked up like the brunette who was currently paying for her mistakes. Finally landing after tumbling over the last stair, her head banging onto the bottom of the common carnival game. A strength test that dads used to try and impress their teenage daughters with. Head having landed on the bottom of the high striker, sending the metal puck rocketing up the little pole while Natalie grunted in pain, _"Niquer!" S_ omehow still conscious.

_**Ding!**_

The puck banging against the bell, she really must have hit that thing hard. As she groaned, reeling at the pain that must have been riddling her body, the metal began to descend. Natalie gasping, hands pressing into the floor to try and push herself up and out of the way. She was no match for gravity though. The puck slamming right into the center of her forehead. Her head falling back down with the metal. Limbs falling limp and eye shut. 

You found yourself laughing in disbelief at the woman who lay unconscious. Completely ridiculously and cartoonish, it almost felt fake. You were so fucking glad you decided to come into Toys R Us, everything seemed to be playing in your favor. 

Your feet touched the bottom of the stairs, shuffling carefully past the sea of plastic balls, you looked up the stairs. Jane at the top, pulling off her second heel to walk properly while hopping down one step at a time. Obviously trying her best to avoid slipping and falling down the stairs like Natalie had. Jack may have been careful but he only had a few stairs left before he reached the bottom. Catching up quicker than you'd think he would.

_"Get her!"_ Jane barked while struggling to get the shoe fully off.

You were finally out of bouncy ball hell, turning the corner and seeing the doors ahead, no longer having to watch out for tiny balls of death. The doors were glass and letting light shine through. Squinting as your eyes adjusted, making a break for it, you found that there were little wind chimes above the doors. Was that seriously their fucking security system? These people were as terrifying as they were dysfunctional.

The only thing in your way was Jack catching up to you, the desecrated booth of leftover toys even looters didn't want, and the space you had to travel. Escape was so close.

"Even if you do get out," His boots shook the floor as they touched down on the floor, "I'm going to catch up."

God, you hated how right he was. Long legs and a killer power walk. It was only a matter of time. But you didn't give up, you wouldn't ever stop trying to get away from this freak.

"No you're not!" You shouted as you sprinted forward, reaching out your free hand to grab one of the filthy American Girl dolls. Face caved in, paint faded, hair matted. Looking like the physical representation of having sensory overload then waking up the next morning tired and still kind of fucked up. 

"I'm literally catching up right now." He deadpanned, only a few feet behind you but you were still out of arms reach. 

You could do it, slow him down like you slowed down the others. Except Jane was the one who broke the jar, leading to Natalie passed out on the floor of a Toys R Us. Still, Natalie was out cold and Jane was struggling to get down the stairs. You had a shot. 

"Oh yeah?!" You sputtered, holding up the doll and twisting your torso toward the man simply waling at you, "Well, take that!" Grunting in effort you threw the doll his way.

The child like doll hardly had time to travel through the air before he caught it. Hand completely encompassing the poor doll's head. He idly threw the doll to the side, "Amazing."

_Chime._

"Anyways." You kept your eyes on Jack, grip tightening on your keys. Far too afraid to look away from him. " _I'm going to e_ _at both of your hands."_

Spoken almost as an injoke between you two. One you didn't find very funny as you were absolutely terrified of the man and the threat of him eating your hands felt very real. He did say that he'd do it if you tried to escape again after all. 

You continued to throw yourself forward while Jack just watched you and lazily walked forward. The morning light reflecting off the floor. You knew the second you got out of this hell hole you'd get the second wind of a fucking lifetime and leave these assholes in the dust.

Then you collided with something hard. Something that wasn't glass. Stumbling back and snapping your head to the obstacle, you found it wasn't a random pillar or shelf you overlooked. It was a person.

The shaking of the floor stopped. Jack was right behind you but didn't go to grab you. You brandished the little blade at the new comer who blocked your path, bringing it up while looking to the obstacle.

He was looking down at you with an even expression upon his long face. There was something about his eyes that kept you in place. Looking dead and dulled, lacking a spark despite being bathed in the golden morning light.

An innate familiarity took over you as you stared down the man's face. An uneven line of pinkish scar tissue running across his upper cheek bones, meeting in the middle of his crooked nose bridge. More scarring, twice as uneven and gnarled blooming from both edges of his mouth. Going in a jagged incline across his lower cheeks, an extension of a smile that just barely twitched upon his lips. Though the scars were rough and eye catching, the ones that you paid the most attention to were the darkened spots on his forehead. Ache scars.

A shuddering breath passing through your lips as you took him in, realization sinking in coldly. The fashion, black jacket and white shirt tucked into his belt. The single golden angel earring hanging from his right ear. The long green scarf that wrapped around his neck ornately and hung limply at his hips, matching green work boots. You didn't miss the holster packing a handheld gun on his belt. Poking out from just underneath the green cloth was a golden rosary. 

You never took him for the religious type. But you supposed any man who should have been dead would find God. You thought him dead but now on the tenth year, he'd risen. 

All the sketches people had done of him, what he'd look like if he grew up, were so close to the real thing. The only thing artists had gotten wrong was how bad his scarring was, he always picked at things way more than he should have. Making them so much worse than authorities thought that they'd be. Another glaring difference was the long and scrupulously attended to mullet.

Despite the years apart, you knew it was him in an instant.

 _"Liu?"_ But that didn't mean you could believe it. Thinking that he was a ghost or a hallucination. You had to make sure he was real. 

Before he could speak, you lowered the blade and threw yourself at him. Chests colliding and wrapping your arms around the man, a ghost in the flesh. Everything else fell away in your shock, elation, relief, _confusion._ Holding onto him like if you let go he'd fade away, turn into a pillar of salt, slip through your fingers, and disappear again. 

Putting you through so much shit, mental exhaustion and complete betrayal. You still missed him all the same. 

He didn't return the hug, standing there still as a board. Chest rumbling as his quiet drone of a voice hollowly spoke, "It's good to see you again, (Y/n)."

Completely different, empty, nothing like the cool and calm voice from your youth. Putting a single hand on your shoulder, so much bigger than it used to be. 

Wait a fucking minute. Jane said something about him coming on the phone. Wait. Jane. Jack. Natalie. You were still in the mall.

Reality came crashing back into you as you threw yourself off of him, "We gotta go!" You blurted out.

" _YOU LITTLE GODDAMN RAT!"_ Your head whipped over your shoulder toward the rage filled voice, your vision was mostly taken up by the sole of a black boot flying at your face. You felt your head get knocked back with the impact, vision starting to quickly darken. Not falling to the cold floor, knobby hands catching you. As your consciousness faded, the last thing you saw was Liu's head rimmed with the bright light of the morning. Your guardian angel with a golden halo and a mullet, you felt the safest you had for a long time.

**\----**

_If there was one thing the two of you knew about Jeff, it was that he took forever to shit. Five minutes was speedy for him, ten was his average. So the both of you sat on his brother's bed, waiting for the boy who had just shamelessly announced that he was going to go shit his brains out. Conversation flowing smoothly, chitchat back and forth. You asking about the boy he'd had his eyes on._

_The way his eyes lit up with such a childlike joy when he talked about him, it was cute. Liu always seemed to have a softly loving spark in his eye. Fond of his few friends, you, and most of all, Jeff._

_"Man," You mused, "Please excuse my dark ambient swag but like, I wish someone talked about me the way that you talk about him." Swinging your legs lazily off the side of the bed._

_Liu paused, looking like you had your head on backwards. Blinking at you a few times while you sat confused, wondering if you did something wrong. "Jeff does." Liu finally broke his momentary silence._

_"Of course Jeff does!" You dismissed, "We're best friends, it's natural."_

_"He likes you." Liu reiterated, "Like in the same way that I like that guy."_

_You blinked, looking skeptically at him. People came up to the two of you sometimes and jokingly asked if you were dating. Jeff was always the first to deny it, loudly proclaiming how that'd be so gross and he totally wasn't into you. Whenever they left he'd hastily tell you that you weren't ugly or anything though. You took it at face value, he wasn't interested in a romantic relationship and neither were you. When you told him that you weren't, he got all mopey about relationships saying that they were shitty anyway. He changed his tune after you said you just never really thought about romance too much. Head too preoccupied with the homicidal exploits of Ted Bundy to think about cute boys or sweet girls._

_"No he doesn't." You shook your head, "He said so himself."_

_"He's lying." Liu snarkily smiled._

_"Jeff wouldn't lie to me." Frankly you were mildly offended on Jeff's behalf. Jeff told you everything. Honestly, if Jeff did like you like that it'd be kinda shitty of Liu to make the choice for him that his feelings should be known to you. If Jeff was going to confess in the scenario where he was interested in you, you'd want him to do so on his own time. If there was one thing that rubbed you the wrong way about Liu, it was that he always thought he knew what was best for Jeff. Doing whatever he deemed fit for Jeff's benefit. Even if sometimes it'd backfire and blew up horribly his face._

_The beginning of the summer started out shitty for the boys with their grounding and two week confiscation of their phones. Sure, Liu protected the both of you from getting the snot beat out of you but then maybe the school wouldn't have called up their parents if he hadn't intervened. Painting them both as demon children. He didn't have to step in but he did and the consequences sucked fat ass._

_Liu didn't look very convinced of your claim, "He lies sometimes," Liu admitted, "Seriously, it's kinda annoying how into you he is." He continued, musing with a wave of his hand._

_There he goes again. Trying to make you think that Jeff liked you so maybe you'd give the thought of romance a shot. Liu thinking that you being a couple would make Jeff happier, so he was trying to make it happen._

_"I don't think he does." You shrugged. Jeff was perfectly happy with the friendship that you both shared._

_One thing Liu knew that his brother didn't, was when to quit._

_"Alright." Though he may bring it up later. If he thought something would make Jeff happier than he'd do anything to have it happen. At least for now though, the two of you could sink back into comfort._

_There was a slight lull in conversation. Liu wasn't as much of a talker as Jeff, a bit awkward too. Though it did pick back up with a, "So, where do you," Liu thought a moment, "See yourself in ten years?"_

_"Hm," You took the new opportunity for a better conversation up with vigor, "In college. Maybe I'll major in psychology or forensics?" You'd love to go into the field you were so passionately hyper fixated on. "I think it'd be cool to live on campus. Maybe you, me, and Jeff could all room together! Wait, You might be graduated by then depending on what degree you go for," You rambled, "So it might just be me and Jeff. Anyway! School. I see myself in school. What about you?"_

_Liu looked incredibly smug, clicking his tongue and raised his brows, "God." He laughed and waved his hand at you. Pausing to think for a moment, "Well, I think I'd be outta school by then for sure. I like learning and all but the second I get my English degree? I'm outta there (Y/n). I think," He drummed his fingers on the mattress, "I'd be living in Manhattan in a studio apartment with my fiance. Right about now we'd be watching TV, talking about our day and having lasagna." He always wanted to be an author once day, make it big in writing gritty crime dramas. Liu was also a huge softie over the idea of sharing his life with a lucky fella. Living out the rest of their days safe and sound._

_Happy, normal, out of reach._


	8. 7 - Blast From The Past

_It was done._

_Four years of late nights, mental breakdowns, a little bit of cheating, and you finally had your diploma. It was a shit show honestly. But that’s just being a teenager._

_The speeches were long, clunky, and badly written. There were a few words spoken of your five classmates who’d been murdered over the years. Multiple variations of rest in peace and poetry about how they were all good people, undeserving of getting chopped to bits. Five teenagers dead and gone in four years. No correlation between them other then the fact that they went to your school. The oddest case being Xavier White, one of the few trans men that came out in early high school. Murdered in his bedroom while home alone, the only thing stolen was his recently_ _acquired testosterone. Bottle, needles, and all._

_They weren’t the only ones who died. Random families, people out on walks late at night, no correlation. Just stabbing after stabbing and a couple times, bludgeoning. The town believed that there was a serial killer on the loose obviously. The Westfeild butcher is what the media dubbed them. Sometimes believing it to be the work of more than a single nut case but possibly being one or two killers. Curfews tight and locks on doors secured._

_For awhile it was bad. People thought you were in on it, that you knew what Jeff was going to do. Harassment, messages sent to your social media, people spitting insults and speculation pointed viciously at you. When the murders kicked up, people wouldn’t stop talking about the brothers. Saying they’d both gone off the rails even more than they already had, surviving the wounds they had and living in the woods. Drinking their own piss, eating babies, and being a threat to the public._

_But, you persevered through all the bullshit. Blocking asshole after asshole, doing your best to act like you didn’t hear the speculation, just trying to live your life. It worked. You made it through it all with an acceptance letter fresh from Rutgers University. Life on the upswing, and yet you couldn’t help but think about him while you were shaking hands, taking pictures with your diploma, graduating without him. Not going out to get something to eat with Liu afterwards. You did your best to force the brothers from your mind while you turned your tassel and threw the square cap as high as you could, a shaky grin on your lips._

_Tomorrow night, you told them before texting them both a goodnight. You just wanted to head to bed already, staying up til three in the morning was a lot already. You could watch the fourth Sharknado movie with the pair when you weren’t about to pass out from exhaustion._

_They’d been sending you doting texts all day, Mom and Bio. You’d met the two in a Discord server in your sophomore year of high school. Friendship quickly sparking up and from there it was history. They helped you a lot with talking to people, giving you tips on how to look people a bit better in the eye. Letting you ramble about interests over spotty calls, not being weird about your verbal stims, being there to talk you down during sensory overload._

_No more waking up at ungodly hours of the morning for some time. You had the whole summer ahead of you to sleep in and do nothing._

_Plugging in your phone, you sauntered over to your window. Wanting to shut the curtains so in the morning the suns rays wouldn’t shine directly into your eyes. You were going to reward yourself with a good nights rest that was hopefully free of bad dreams; presenting in front of class naked, rejection from crushes, or doing a homework packet while the teacher was about to collect the work._

_Thinking about him again, that night over five years ago. One of the few memories that stuck with you without explanation, a curtain in either hand and looking out the dark window, trying to see what he saw, what he kept from you. You wanted to hate them both but their memory always came up at times like this. Momentous and happy occasions somewhat sullied by your brain bringing up the thought; how would Jeff and Liu react to this?_

_Sure, you'd get caught up in the rat race that was life in capitalistic America, not think about them for weeks or months on end, but there'd always be something to make you think about them. Being your own person, trying to grow up as normally as you could, get a job, move out, live happy. You'd do it but their wraiths would follow you to to the ends of the earth, chains wrapped around your body trying to drag you down._

_Tired. You were so goddamn tired. Grunting out a sigh as you began to pull the curtains shut only for something to catch your eye at the treeline. Pausing, you squinted at the form to try and get a better look. It was a dark outline in front of the treeline that wasn't comprised of diagonal lines. Standing on two legs, looking like they had animal ears or some shit, something behind them shifting in the cold night breeze._

_"The hell?" You mumbled, maybe you were seeing things or maybe it was just some kid being fucking weird. An arm brought itself up, a chunky and uneven silhouette. Swaying side to side lackadaisically, creepy. Then the head turned, hair shifting and wave turned to someone you couldn't see yet. Much more enthusiastic toward the form that came into view, bigger and sprinting at the other._

_Then the bigger incoming form tackled the waving one. Both forms flying into the treeline behind a bush._

_"Huh?" You blinked, confused at the whole ordeal. Seeing the occasional limb fly from behind the view blocking bush. "Weird." You were too tired for shit from the weird neighborhood kids. There was an influx of move in's a few years back, families coming in with their kids who loved to ding dong ditch and run around at night playing flashlight tag. Screaming with fear and delight._

_As you started to pull the curtains shut, you heard a voice muffled by glass and distance. "NINA! I FUCKING SWEAR!" Gruff, gravely, and sounding like whoever it was smoked fifty packs of cigarettes a day after getting drunk in a Tesco parking lot. You'd never heard a voice quite like it. Masculine and sounding pissed the hell off._

_But, it_ _wasn't your weird couples quarrel to dispute. Honestly, they were probably some teenagers trying to film a Youtube prank or they were just into some weird shit. Things like voyeurism, violence, all that. Well, you refused to be a part of whatever they were doing. Yanking your curtains shut and going to bed._

_Curious the next morning, well rested and in an alright mood. You sauntered over to the treeline outside of your house. Pushing past the bush they disappeared in the night before to find an odd sight that confirmed a few suspicions in your head. Flora and fauna behind the shrub was crushed and destroyed. A few chunky colorful bracelets were laying forgotten on the dirt. Clumps of black hair, long and with split ends, lay strewn about. It wasn't the most curious thing out at the site, but it did catch your eye. The darkness in the dirt, ashy brown with deep spots of much richer brown. A trail of the darkness leading further into the woods. Two different types of shoe prints in the dirt where the damage and odd debris were, but only the bigger of the two prints was shown in the dirt path that led deeper into the forest._

_It was an odd sight for sure but you drew a rather simple conclusion rather quickly. "Man," You sighed, stepping away from the bushes, "Teenagers these days are into some weird stuff, huh?" Either it was a weird fuck between two teens or a dispute long since past that you couldn't do shit about. Turning your body toward your home before taking one last look over your shoulder, hearing the snapping of brittle twigs._

_It was a flash of shifting black disappearing behind a distant tree. A squirrel climbing up it and disappearing behind the trunk perhaps. Your stomach loudly growled at you, having yet to eat something after laying in bed for hours texting back and forth with Mom and Bio. "Poptarts! Here I come," You proclaimed, looking back to your home and marching toward the nearest entrance while using your newest echo, "Prepare your ass for a very epic pounding."_

**\----**

_Emails weren't your most favorite thing in the world, but you had to check your email for an assignment from your professor. Sitting on your shared couch with Noah, a TV dinner cooling off of the coffee table in front of you you opened the god forsaken app. Reloading your email for what felt like the millionth time. You would have thought by your junior year of college, professors would have gotten better with sending emails and assignments on time but you'd been proven wrong time and time again. When a new one finally popped up, you felt relief, he didn't forget to send out work again! But then you read the title of the email._

_'FUCKING STUPID UGLY STUPID FUCKING SLUTWHOREBA...'_

_So long that it got cut off. This again._

_Wannabe podcasters, Youtubers trying to make documentaries, true crime freaks; you got this shit a lot, especially the first few years after the murders. Extensive personal questions about Jeff, your relationship to him, what your favorite memories were, frankly, questions they weren't entitled to the answers of. There was also the occasional death threat, they usually came in waves. Whenever an article came out and just so happened to speculate that you knew what would happen, name dropping you even as a minor, a select few people would do anything to find your social media. Send you messages about how you should be ashamed and should die in a fire. Just normal childhood things._

_You always blocked them. Hardly getting messages like that anymore. But there was this one person who stayed persistent though the years. You speculated heavily that she was a true crime obsessed freak in love with a dead thirteen year old. Mostly because she talked about Jeff all the time in her hastily typed emails, probably done in a state of mania. They were scary and alarming at first, still kind of were, but there was so much dedication that she showed by always, always, finding your newest email address or making herself a new email account just to send you messages every couple of months._

_"It's kinda funny ya'know?" You sighed in exasperation, mostly at your professor for not getting back to you yet._

_Noah glanced over to you, a hot pocket stuffed into his chubby cheeks, "Mmph?"_

_"This girl's been emailing me for like," You gestured your hand idly while he swallowed, "Years dude. It's like anti-fan mail."_

_"Hate mail." Noah corrected. You'd talked with him about the messages before with him. Noah being very confused and mostly concerned for your safety. He took them a lot more seriously than you did. Not used to internet hate and how descriptively people could describe wanting to eviscerate you. Though it was upsetting, it was nice to laugh at it sometimes._

_"Yeah! Hate mail," You nodded, opening the email, "Wanna hear the latest?"_

_Noah hummed, brows furrowing, "Depends." He said he didn't like mentions of bodily harm and emotional turmoil all while watching medical dramas, watching doctors spiral out of control and grow into morally fucked rat bastards. Though you understood his discomfort despite the mild hypocrisy._

_"One sec." You'd read over the text before deciding if he could handle it._

_'i'M GOIng TO FUCKING gut YOU you stuPID weaselRATDUMBbitc h! !!!! YOU betTER WATCH DA fuk OUT!! BECUZ I''M COMING 4 U!!11! I HATE YOUSOMUCH SOMUCHSOFUCKING MUCH I WANT TOCUT U AND GUT u !!! i want to watCH YOU DIEdiedieidediedieidieidieDIE! IM GONA WEAR UR FUKIN GUTZ As a headBAND1 IHATEUIHATEUIHATEU FOR exzistinggg ANDHOW HE fuCKIN g THINkz ABOuT U 12! i wilL ERASE U R STUPIDUGLYWHOREFACE !!!!11 NWKLFNNGNJKN 23456YGFDQJ UHJMIJ NENGNRENG!! im going 2 FUKING GET U UGLYHEAdAzz'_

_You shrugged, being one of the tamer and much sillier ones. It was hard to take 'Xxfuck(y/n)dieplzxX@gmail.com' seriously a lot of the time. Her latest email handle making you snicker other than quake in your boots. Cartoonishly hateful and incredibly easy to block. You decided to read it out word for word, describing the spelling and typing patterns with a smile._

_Noah was concerned but he couldn't hide the smile pulling at his lips when you simply said, "Okay so, she just key smashes here." Starting to have a hard time taking it as seriously._

_The two of you parroting, "I'm gonna wear your fuckin' guts as a hand band!" And, "I'm going to fucking get you, ugly head ass!" Back and forth as you blocked the email address._

_As you put your phone down, finally receiving the email from your professor, you picked up your TV dinner. Noah swallowing another bite of his pocket as the doctors on the television went at it. "Dang, she's wild. Hope you never meet her."_

_You highly doubted the threats held any weight. "Yeah," You laughed, "Me neither."_

_No one was that obsessed with a dead kid to actually do anything in his name._

**\----**

Consciousness fading in and out, a tingling sensation in your flesh, awareness before it disappeared. Falling back into nothingness over and over again. Hanging limbs, swaying movements, vowels just barely made out through the haze. 

It was the dull throbbing on your forehead that finally pulled you fully from the confines of unconsciousness. Groaning while cracking your eyes open, you found that your forehead was resting on your forearms, your arms tingling, asleep. Bound with the ropes you shimmied through other than cut. Cheek stinging, back aching like a bitch, whole body tingling uncomfortably and complete confusion had you lifting your head up, grumbling, "What the hell, man?"

There were no intricate binding tying your torso to the chair, no rope restricting your legs. Though your key ring was gone from your grip: you were sitting at what looked like a plastic lunch table almost completely free.

Then your head snapped fully upright, the light of the exit behind three sitting figures. Two across from you, one completely towering over you, made up of blacks and grays. Thick droplets falling from his chin and slapping onto the table. The other was the strangely familiar, yet completely alien form of Liu Woods. Light rimming his body and making the bits of religious gold that he wore shine valiantly. His dark eyes looked at you, void of any readable emotion.

There was plenty of room at the table for her to sit. Yet Jane had decided to sit at the table next to the one the three of you shared, arms and legs crossed. Knowing smile pointed your way but it didn't feel very friendly to you. You knew damn well behind that painted smile were teeth bared in a snarl and a gaze full of hate. Her presence made you want to piss your pants.

Legs tensing as you started to hastily stand up, wanting away from the woman as soon as possible. You didn't get to stand up a single inch. Two hands on either one of your shoulders, pressing you down harshly onto the plastic bench. Fingers clutching you with a merciless grip that only tightened as you began an attempt to get away. 

Piping up before the others could, speaking annoyingly loud, "Good fucking afternoon sleepyhead!" 

Every word spoken sarcastically, absolute venom dripping from her tone. You tilted your head back to the woman scowling: clock still ticking, brows furrowed, and a brown bruise in the shape of a perfect circle in the center of her forehead. Smaller, lighter, bruises littered her cheeks. You could only imagine the horrible bruising she must have under her jacket, tumbling down the stairs like a rag doll. 

Meeting your eye, a bright spark of fury evident, her grip tightened. While you hissed in pain and tried to stand up again, her lips curled into a shit eating grin. Further pushing you down, enjoying oppressing you. Though you didn't really care if she was happy or not, she still disturbed you and you wanted to get away from her. Jerking your shoulders and trying to stand, "Let go of me!"

"Sure, sure." The woman actually complied, you completely forgetting about everybody else as you shot to your feet. Then a thin line of cold steel was pressed to your jugular, " _Sit back down or I'll cut the shit outta you._ " The woman growled out, obvious sadistic delight shining through her tone, warm breath on your neck sending a shiver down your spine.

You weren't fucking stupid. You sat back down for the sake of self preservation, not doubting the threat in the slightest. Lips forming into a tight line as you debated what you should say to the woman and the ittybitty knife pressed to your throat, softly jingling. With wide eyes you realized she had your fucking keys.

Not taking the knife away as you looked to the three people patiently waiting for her to intimidate you into sitting down and being willing to talk. 

"Man!" She echoed the word with what you could only imagine as a smile, "This thing is tiny!" The blade pressed into you but didn’t cutting as easily as her knives did. Not freshly sharpened or taken care of. "I'd rather use Doctor Sims and Martin on you but Jesus fuck, does it feel good to turn your own little baby fucking butter knife on your stupid ass."

Were you scared? Yes. Were you confused as to why Liu was here, alive and maybe well? Absolutely. Did you know who the fuck she was talking about? No.

"Who-" You furrowed your brows, deciding it was probably for the best to not engage with the woman. Did she name her fucking knives? You ended the interaction with a nervously laughed, "Okay,” not wanting to know the answer.

Feeling like you were going to start to sweat under the pressure that was having a knife to your neck. Eyes darting to Liu's, not forgetting about the woman behind you but mostly focused on the dead boy walking. But he was no longer a boy, he was a man. Sitting with his arms crossed looking up at you patiently, waiting. 

The smile spread slowly and jankily across his lips, tiredly warm, "I suppose you have some questions." 

It looked awkward when he talked, the corners of his mouth stiffly shifting. Jaw hardly moving. A slight slur to all of his words. Probably a result of what scarred his cheeks so badly. Jeff with a knife snatched from their kitchen. Sawing through his cheeks, cutting through tendon and muscle. Having to regrow and reconnect in an environment you didn't quite know of, either way it definitely did a number on the lower half of his face and how it moved. You had never thought about how it'd affect his face in the future, thinking he didn't have a future, thinking that you'd never see him again, that he was long dead. 

You blinked, taking in every little thing about him. Voice, movements, appearance. You were floored, his appearance like a kick to the chest, breathtaking and painful.

"Yeah uh," You didn't know what to say, wanting to be sappy and eloquent but unable to form long, cohesive, poetic sentences, you just spluttered out _, "YOU'RE ALIVE?!"_

In an abandoned food court surrounded by a zombie and three freaks. Scared and more confused than when you were figuring your sexuality out. Wanting to run but a tiny knife was pressed dangerously to your throat and Liu was okay with it. Sitting side by side with a self proclaimed god.

Liu let out a breath chuckle from his nostrils, "I'm here aren't I?" A hand fidgeting with the edge of his scarf. 

Familiar warmth flooding into your chest, bitter sweetly nostalgic. He still did what he did, murdering an innocent woman so terribly, leaving you behind and disappearing like his brother. A deep emotional wound of betrayal that you got no closure for. Angry, clenching your fists as much as you could in your bindings, snapping weakly, _"Where the hell have you been?"_

He looked hardly taken aback by your firm words, having to look away from him multiple times. Eye contact was hard enough but it was even harder with him. So different, so warm but so off. He was probably expecting you to not react too lovingly towards him after all the shit he did, what he could only speculate what he'd put you through. 

Though he sighed at the idea of reminiscing over whatever the hell he'd been through, he still spoke with an air of melancholic eloquence, "I've just been a wayfaring stranger." Vaguely poetic. Something you oddly expected from someone who used to be obsessed with Victorian era literature, telling you and Jeff about all of it's confusing intricacies.

Not completely spilling the beans of his whereabouts just yet. He didn't owe you every painful little detail, you were only just catching up after all. It'd be the equivalent of infodumping on a stranger who expressed vague interest in something you were invested in. You could save the grittier details for later, but there were quite a few more things you were confused about.

"What about you?" Liu asked pleasantly before you could speak, "How have you been enjoying college?" 

"Get to the point." Jane impatiently interjected, idly swinging her crossed leg up and down. 

Liu completely ignored her and kept his eyes on you, asking niceties with dull eyes.

Mouth hanging open and trying to form your thoughts into sentences. The knife pressed lightly on and off of your skin at the same rhythm of the _tick, tock, tick, tock, "_ Come on lady," Natalie urged, on Jane's side but still liking to see you squirm, wanting the uncomfortable conversation with Liu to go on longer, "Tell the twink how school's been, yeah?"

Not wanting to get cut and wanting to catch up with an old friend, you croaked, "Uhm. It's been okay."

He continued the casual conversation, "Is it everything it was cracked up to be?" You didn't think he could have finished high school or go to college with the whole murdering a woman and disappearing thing. Perhaps trying to somewhat live vicariously through you, someone close to him who got to do what he couldn't. 

"Harder than I thought it'd be." You robotically responded, feeling like you just might shut down. Doing everything you could to not completely lose your shit. Liu didn't speak, quietly waiting for you to elaborate, "Uhm, lots of course work. Hard. It's nice though." 

"Hm," Jack hummed, deep voice grabbing your attention as he idly spoke, "I miss college."

"Probably because you peaked in college." Natalie jabbed with a laugh.

"I died." Jack deadpanned, idly flexing his hands on the table. 

"Tch," Natalie huffed, "You're still alive. I'm calling fat fucking bullshit."

"You didn't let me finish." He sounded amused with Natalie, just barely. "I was also born."

"What the actual fuck does that even mean? Did you peak or not?" Natalie laughed while you looked from person to person, not knowing where you fell in the conversation anymore.

"That's for me to know and you to _try to think_ about." The two bickering back and forth with hateful yet soft jabs made them feel almost like frenemies.

"Can we please get back on task?" Jane sternly forced her way into the conversation, "I'd really like to get to the point already." Voice quivering, sounding like she was a few seconds from snapping. Getting up and bonking you over the head with her shoe. You noticed that they were back on and one of them had to faintest green tint. 

She had a point though. You wanted to figure out what exactly was going on here. Why Liu was here, how he was alive, how he was a cold blooded killer. As Jack and Natalie tosses jabs back and forth, you pushed the words out, disregarding their banter, "Why did you-" You stumbled over your own words, starting a new question, "How did you-" The rest of the words got garbled in your throat. 

"Personal reasons." Liu answered, even after all these years he remembered that you had a hard time speaking in stressful situations. Putting two and two together quite quickly. Answering the next half-question no problem as the bickering duo quieted down to listen, "Wit and dumb luck." 

You got it, somewhat. The Liu you knew wouldn't kill anybody, but he had defied expectations. There had to be a deeply distressing thing to have caused that, it couldn't have just been in cold blood. He was a smart boy, you weren't surprised he used his head to somehow not fucking die. Even though he took a human life, you were glad karma hadn't come for him. You were so happy that he was alive.

He'd fill you in more hopefully later. Maybe if you were alone with him you could be given more details without a knife to the neck. Alone time with an old friend sounded nice. Stare up at a ceiling and talk about stupid shit and how life's a total bummer just like the old days. 

Though there was a glaring question that stared you down with dull green eyes. "Why are you here?" You quietly questioned, heels rocking back in forth. Grounding yourself enough to speak normally enough once more, "Why am I here?"

Natalie cackled cruelly behind you, "Have you _really_ not figured it out already?"

Your head was like a vat of toxic waste about to overflow. A dangerous mix of negative and positive emotions, it was so easy to let your tongue slip.

Quiet yet sternly hateful, looking up to meet the woman's one working eye, "All you've done is chase me around," From not knowing what to say to words spilling out of your mouth, "Threaten me, and just be an all around asshole. So no, I don't know what the fuck is going on."

Panicked regret taking over when the knife was firmly pressed into you, just starting to push past layers of skin. 

"You're really fucking determined to get fucked up, huh?" Angry words spoken with a smile only because she had power over you. If she didn't have the threat of physical violence over your head, she'd have nothing to block the blow to her ego with.

"Don't hurt her Natal-" The woman glared at Liu, standing up for you just like he did back in the day. "Clockwork." He corrected himself, ever the respectful one. You wondered if that was the woman's nickname or something.

"Hurt her." Jane cut in with a cold command. Still clearly pissed about the whole Toys R Us debacle. Using Natalie, or apparently Clockwork's, devotion to her as a weapon.

"Gladly." Natalie pressed the knife into you and you in turn jerked your body back. Knife no longer on your skin but your back pressing into her legs. One hand gripping onto your shoulder and not letting you jerk away. Bringing the knife closer and closer, "Aww, what's wrong? Lil baby doesn’t wanna pay for 'er actions?"

Liu bolted up from his seat, quickly snatching Natalie's arm before she could rough you up. Holding her with an iron grasp, you took note of more gnarled flesh on the back of his hand. Slightly indented, a healed over slit in the center of his hand. His other hand rested atop the plastic table to support himself, a matching slit. He wasn't crucified but it definitely looked like stigmata. You read of his wounds, grievous and extensive, complete brutal overkill. 

" _Let go_." Natalie growled, Jack watching with interest and Jane watching with probably a desire to see your throat slit.

"Clockwork," Liu used her supposed title to try and rationalize, "We need to work together," He eyed you, "You can't be doing this to her. We all need her on our side if we're going to accomplish our goals." The woman hardly considered his words, tugging her arm toward you but Liu kept an incredibly strong grip. Jaw locking, brow furrowing, but he persisted, "(Y/n) is an integral part to this. _All of you_ seem to think scare tactics are going to work."

"They do." Jane clicked defiantly, "Look how still she is right now. Completely subservient _. You're not going to try me again, are you (Y/n)?"_

Your mouth hung open, dread blooming in you. Liu continued on, "(Y/n), don't answer that." On your side, defending you, familiar, different but the same.

"Answer me.” Jane spat from behind the knowing smile, trying to bend you to her will with just words.

It was tempting, wanting to do so to get her guard dog of a partner off of you. Yet Liu being here, wanting you to stand strong, it was empowering. So you kept your mouth shut. You trusted and relied on him even with ten years apart, catching the twitch of a comforting smile from him to you. He continued, returning the favor, feeding off of one another, "Trust me when I say that having (Y/n) be willingly on board with the plan will make things go a lot smoother."

"She tried to run away!" Natalie argued, still one handedly trying to cut you with Liu's hand keeping the cut from the sinful woman off of you. "And! How the fuck were we supposed to get her here?"

"I will admit that there was likely no possible way to have her come of her own volition." Green eyes looking to yours, "I'm sorry you had to be brought into this so," He looked to Natalie with muddied disdain, "Horribly. However, after that you could have just explained everything to her and not kept her caged like a wild animal."

"We didn't put her in a cage, though that sounds like a great idea." Jane suggested, sounding completely serious.

Liu corrected himself, "You shouldn't have tied her up." They must have told him or maybe he just inferred through context clues. Not expecting the three to be the most hospitable when it came to kidnapping. "You could have just watched her." Liu knew you would have ran anyway, anyone would. Believing in the much more humane ways to treat a kidnapping victim regardless. 

"Well." Jane paused to come up with an argument but she didn't have one, "Jack shouldn't have left her." Shifting the blame, classic.

"I was hungry." Jack casually explained while the gut wrenching memories of the smell, the sight of the body, the sound of him eating it with a soft smile made your stomach clench.

"You should have waited to eat." Jane argued as your eyes shifted around the food court, looking to see if the body or blood was still there. You didn't see a cracked open rib cage, you didn't see a spec of blood on the tiled floor, you didn't even smell the pungent scent of exposed innards. 

"I told you that I couldn't." Jack replied, you glanced over to him. The man turned his blind gaze to Natalie. You watched him talk with a mouth full of canines, "You could have stayed though." 

Natalie clicked her tongue, "Don't look at me like that you eyeless fuck." Avoiding the blame messily. The lot of them passing it around like hot potato when Liu wasn't even getting on them for your escape. It was the fact that they felt the need to restrain you and be such dickheads about it.

"Well, you're making it easy for me to look at you by running your mouth so much." Jack smugly responded, idly tapping his fingers on the table.

"Well, you- I- _Salope!"_ Natalie barked, still trying to pull the knife toward you.

"How astute of you." Jack understood whatever she just said, mocking her for it.

Jane chimed in, "Well, yo-

You watched with wide eyes as his hand on the table swung back to the holster on his hip. Quickly drawing his gun and pointing at the dead center of Natalie's forehead. " _SHUT THE HELL UP! ALL OF YOU!"_

You were wrong about something, very, very wrong. He wasn't the boy you used to know but bigger. He'd grown up more than in physical appearance. Lips twitching so you could just barely make out his teeth, one handedly holding a gun steady. He used to fight for Jeff with bony fists, even though you knew he was a killer, it was rattling to see him so angry once again after all these years. This time defending just you, this time with a loaded gun, the safety being audibly turned off. Liu was still Liu, but this Liu was _fucked._ It finally sunk in as everyone fell silent, him staring down Natalie with a cold hatred, the dull glint in his eyes finally matching the rest of him. 

Staring down the barrel of death, Natalie laughed, "What was all that about being a pacifist 'n shit?"

"I never said I was a pacifist." Voice evening out but the message was delivered with a harsh edge, "I said that we need to take measures to have (Y/n) on our side of her own volition, as that's how things will play out the best for us. Got that?" He rose his brows, talking slow, almost mockingly, like she was an idiot.

"Who cares if she likes us or not? Worms on hooks are worms on hooks, like it or not." She snorted, the only sound following was her words quietly echoing through the food court and the horrid _tick, tock, tick, tock._

Liu didn't respond for a moment, frown twitching deeper, speaking with absolute authority, "Take the knife away from her or I'll blow your brains out of the back of your skull."

It was deeply jarring, image of him being rocked and shattered with every second passing. The animistic hate hiding behind a thin veil, losing his temper and going from calm to weighty death threats in an instant. He really had grown up. A recognizable shell of a boy that you couldn't figure out.

The semi-silence hung over all of your heads like a heavy weight. Jane uncrossing her arms and legs, about to pounce on the man. Natalie meeting his gaze. Jack just observing. All for the sake of order for whatever they needed you for, no discordance, just camaraderie that was highly unlikely considering your opinions of them. You just wanted to get the fuck out of here. 

"You need me." Natalie lowly challenged, "You fucking won't." 

Liu leaned over the table, pressing the cold steel firmly into her skin, "I need Jane and Jack, and most of all, I need (Y/n). _You are as disposable as they come."_

Yet he still granted the loudmouth mercy. Smart enough to know her death would throw things off with Jane. Although it was clear he just might believe that you'd all be fine without her if she kept running her mouth.

Liu released her hand when she lifted it, pulling the knife away and shoving her hand into her pocket. Grip on your shoulder twitching tighter for a moment before untimely she released you. Another hand shoved in her other pocket, looking like a teenager in trouble. The woman may conform to Liu's will, but that didn't mean she was going to do it without attempting to get the last word, "Whatever."

Chair screeching as it was pulled out behind you. Her presence pulling away to plop herself in the plastic with a huff. In your minds eye you envisioned her childishly crossing her arms and pouting. Jane didn't relax but didn't look like she was three seconds away from pouncing on Liu. Jack was still letting everything unfold naturally without his intervention. Liu stuffed the gun back into it's holster as he sat back down, flicking the safety delicately. 

"Now." He addressed you without the hateful edge, goal oriented but still caring, "(Y/n)." He met your flaky gaze while starting to fidget with the edge of his scarf once more, "You may want a moment to brace yourself." 

Speaking without really thinking for once, "Well, there's not much else that can really surprise me at this point." You'd checked off a fat list of things you'd never thought you'd ever do, all in the past forty-eight hours.

Despite getting deadly serious with Natalie, he took a softer edge with you. Not loving, something _off_ that you couldn't label, explanation out of your reach. Whoever Liu Woods was now, some part of him cared about you in a way that made him stiffly smile at you a moment before delivering the news, "Jeff is alive.” 

Jane's accusation of the atrocity he committed against her, all the talk of him, Liu being here with them, the dead living, it should have clicked earlier. But it didn't.

You didn't doubt the man who should not be, he was alive after all. You heard him loud and clear, yet you needed the repetition, "What?"

"Jeff is alive." Liu obliged your need, giving you a moment to let the news sink coldly into your bones. You knew it to be true if Liu Woods was telling you. When it came to his brother, he was very serious, he wouldn't lie about this. Going though grievous wounds and avoiding the law, living when he should be long dead. If he could do it so could his younger brother.

_Jeffery Woods was alive._

You felt your hands start to shake in an unknown emotion, the only way you could label it as was overwhelming. He continued, sympathizing with your plight but needing to get the rest of the message across, "I need your help freeing him so everything can go back to the way that it was." You didn't understand but he kept going, _"He needs our help."_

 _"More like he needs to die."_ Jane interjected bitterly, having complete opposite ideals than Liu. The man didn't even look her way to acknowledge her comment. Only having eyes for you, a relic of both of their pasts, someone he wholeheartedly believed he could help. Someone who didn't want to see Jeff dead. 

You just stared at the man. Mouth agape, air around you feeling so incredibly hot. The shake of your hands comforting but touching the plastic table over and over was distracting as hell. Natalie's breathing was so loud behind you. You were hyper aware of Jack's blind eyes set on you, somehow watching every little movement. Jane's masked face turned toward you, smiling but hateful. You didn't know what was wrong with you, all you knew was that she hated you so very much. Liu's expectant gaze put a weight you didn't understand on your shoulders. The _tick, tock, tick, tock_ seemed to grow in volume, time passing while the world around you seemed to have stopped. 

Time. Ten years. He grew up without you. Unseen changes, appearance wise, personality wise.

Did he still laugh the same? Talk the same? Did he still care about you even after all this time? Did he think about you when little things reminded you of him? What were you supposed to help him with? Could you even help him? Why did he kill his parents? Did he regret it? Did he kill other people? Did he miss you? You didn't know because you'd spent all this time apart from him. Not being being by your side to answer every little question.

Sweat crawled up from your pores, coating your flesh in a thin layer. "Uhm." Your breaths grew shorter and shorter, not feeling like you were getting enough air. "Uh." Words caught in your throat, clogging up your airways and choking you cruelly. 

Misery, fear, confusion, melancholy, rancor, affection, love. Every human emotion was ripping and tearing you apart. You couldn't hear yourself think anymore. Every little sound seemed to be amplified tenfold, everything you touched was so painfully present. Vision seeming to blur, were you crying or were going to pass out? Edges of your view fading in and out of blackness. Maybe Liu had called out your name but you couldn't tell, lips moving but you couldn't process the words. Not being able to tell if the look on his face meant he was worried of eerily calm. Only feeling the heat that came out of nowhere. Hyper aware of your clothes, the torn bomber somewhat comforting. But it and it's pins were not enough to soften the blow that he was alive. 

_He was alive._

And it was too much for you to take.


	9. 8 - Switching Into Gear

_It was all so very loud. You didn't know where it came from, it just happened. The sudden incredibly strong winds that mercilessly rustled the leafs, an inconsistent mess of white noise. The rumble of passing cars, the distant screaming of a discordant marriage, the concerned words passing through his lips, the blaring sun breaking through the ever moving branches, it all added up to be too much to handle. To cope you sat curled up in a ball, head in your knees and hands over your ears, pressing as hard as you could. Trying to make it all go away, but the wind didn't stop._

_"What's wrong?" He didn't know what to do other than panic and ask question after question. His voice only grated on your ears, "Do I call an ambulance?" It wasn't your worst breakdown ever but it was pretty fucking bad and you couldn't bring yourself to communicate or move yourself to a better location. "Liu!" Jeff desperately cried, having your ears on the cusp of ringing._

_The boy had gone into the house fifteen minutes before to go to the bathroom. Venturing into the belly of the beast that were his parents arguing about who knows what. Probably getting venomous words hurled at him for walking to the bathroom to take a piss._

_"Liu!" Jeff called the boy over once more, "What the fuck do I do?" No response, "Now's not the time to get all quiet on me. I need your fucking help, dude!" He did this sometimes. Either grow almost completely nonverbal or become hyper abrasive and lash out at anything that moved. You'd always just assumed it was something he couldn't control, like how you couldn't control how much you were freaking the fuck out._

_In actuality every footstep was quiet on the grass, but to you it was a shuffling sound straight out of the gates of hell. A hand on your shoulder suddenly. Shuddering, shaking, turning your head and looking to the boy who blocked out the sharp suns rays with his form. Albeit not completely, a soft framing of golden light, an ethereal guardian angel coming to help you in what wasn't your darkest hour but sure felt like it._

_Kneeling, putting his other hand atop yours that was desperately clutching your knees to try and stay grounded. You could stand to look at him, his warm touch making you feel like you could stand with some help. Liu looked over his shoulder to the confused Jeff, jutting his head in your direction. Quietly telling him to come and help while he started to rise to his feet. You willingly followed his lead, Jeff waddling up to your other side, looking to Liu for further guidance._

_A comforting hand on your shoulder from either brother, Liu led the way and the two of you just followed. You hobbling along, trying to not hyper focus on every little movement of your clothing or the way the sound of Jeff whisper shouting, "Where the fuck are we going?"_

_He got his answer when the three of you arrived at your house. Family gone out for day but the door left unlocked for whenever you decided to return. Walking through your home was comfortably familiar, so much quieter than the outside, so much less light assaulting your retinas. They'd been here a million and one times, knowing almost every nook and cranny._

_Liu knew exactly how to get to your room, leading you to lay on your bed. Jeff still having no fucking idea what to do, watching you with furrowed brows as you tried to breathe even though every breath sounded like a bomb going off. He was just following his older brother's lead because Liu usually knew what to do. It was a learning process for them both, you having autism and them trying to figure out ways to better engage with you, stay aware of the way that you processed things. But it wasn't perfect, all of you were so young and had a lot more to learn about each other. You could relate to the confusing learning process, still not knowing everything and having a lot to learn with Jeff being trans._

_You stared up to your ceiling, sunlight filtering through the window right into your eyes. Groaning, you brought a hand up to cast a shadow over your eyes. Jeff spoke once more, "What the fuck are y-"_

_Liu held a single finger up to his lips, quiet. Jeff shut his trap, lips pressing into a thin line. With his brother subdued for the moment, Liu made his way to your curtains. Jeff sitting softly on your mattress inches away from you, trying not to ask question after question. It was probably incredibly hard for him to be quiet, Jeffery Woods hardly understood the meaning of the word._

_The light wasn't completely gone, still softly filtering in from behind the shut curtains. But it was enough of a blockade to help. You took shuddering breaths, running the hand not on your face along the familiar texture of your comforter._

_He spoke for the first time though the entire ordeal, quiet, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your friend, Ezekiel." Walking over to the mattress, sitting on your other side while Jeff looked at him like he had three heads. The boy was not deterred, focused on you with brilliant green eyes that you almost didn't recognize, "I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Your tired (e/c) eyes met his for a moment as he finished up the confusing sentiment. Sounding like a ripped passage from those old texts he loved so much._

_"Dude, what the fuck?" Jeff broke his own silence after Liu hypocritically broke his._

_Calling himself by a different name and talking like a fifteen year old shouldn't speak. Liu did not answer, taking you by the hand, leading the hand that blocked out the harsh rays to the soft mattress. Comforting. Jeff blinked and started at him while you focused on calming down. Quickly following his brothers lead, resting his hand atop your opposite. Sitting there and helping by doing the difficult task of keeping his mouth shut for a little over ten minutes._

_The quiet sobs has diminished, heart rate slowing back to normal. "Uhm," Jeff spoke first, fidgeting with the strings of his hoodie, "Are you okay?"_

_"Not really." You croaked, cheeks caked in salty dried tears, ears still partially sensitive. The worst of it was over but for the next while you'd be tired, reeling from the bullshit. "But it's better than before, I think."_

_The three of you sat like that for the longest time. Jeff and you talking in hushed voices and about simple topics. Liu stayed quiet the rest of the day after the few confusingly comforting words he chimed in with. Even if he was quiet, his presence was healing. Though the worst of times they were there to hold your hand, always having your back even if they didn't completely get what was going on._

_**\----**_

Calm down. Just calm down. Fucking calm down.

You couldn't as much as you wanted to. Unable to collect your thoughts while your breaths grew shakier and shakier. The light seeping in from the doors felt so bright. The ropes binding your wrists feeling like a thin boa constrictor. 

You bought your hands up to your face. Doing your best to cover your eyes with the restricted range of movement. Even when you shut your eyes, bits of light filtered through your eyelids. You wanted complete darkness or just to be away from the harsh light source. You couldn't cover your ears, forced to listen to every little sound that made the inside of your ears feel like they were shaking. 

Despite sound sucking complete ass, you couldn't help but chant things to yourself in an attempt to calm down, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I'll eat both of your hands."

You didn't notice that he got up. You just knew that he was behind you now, hands on your shoulders. Comforting and ridged.

Words spoken softly, "Come on." Just like when you were kids, you let him led you, standing up with shaking legs. Looking at the floor and your restrained hands, going wherever he decided to lead you without resistance. 

"Where the hell are you taking her?" Jane's question voiced with an obvious annoyance. Though you couldn't see her, the overwhelming idea of her hateful gaze on your back made your skin crawl even more. 

Liu didn't answer her. The two of you walking around abandoned tables, him moving chairs out of the way. Lifting the counter that doubled as a door for past employees, he led you into a booth like setup of an empty Burger King. Gingerly suggesting for you to sit under the counter where orders used to be taken. A space where the light couldn't shine so brightly into your eyes, away from the ticking clock, away from Jack and Jane's prying eyes. Less open, more small, confined and controlled.

He sat himself down beside you, "It's alright. I've got you."

Face contorted in agony, fear, confusion, generally being overwhelmed. Rocking yourself back and forth, sputtering and crying. Just trying to regain your mental footing. He gave you all the time you needed to sit and sob, let it all out. 

Words fell past your lips in response to his earlier statement in a stream of verbal vomit, "I'm literally," You sniffled and swallowed a lump in your throat, "Tied up and you're alive and Jeff's alive and I've been fucking _kidnapped_. My roommate misses me and I just wanna go back home and go to work and watch Gray's Anatomy." The last of the sentiment may have been total first world problems but they felt bigger than that to you. Your solidified routine obstructed violently and now your life had been shifted into a terrifying overdrive. Where you had no idea what was next because apparently anything was possible; dead people could just come back to life and there were people with clock eyes and gray skin. 

Liu took a moment to formulate a solid verbal response while his scarred hands worked away at the forced bindings. Freeing you from evil while preaching to his own choir, "Us being alive is a good thing. I know we must have caused you a lot of heartache," Looser and looser, more comfort being bestowed upon you, a grateful sigh escaping your lips, "But, now we can fix it. We can all just go back to the way things used to be." The ropes lay useless on the floor, sitting beside a relic from the past, one that told you of another, "And you and Jeff can-" He stopped himself, breathily laughing with a stiff smile.

You supposed he was going to go on about the two of you reconnecting. Even though it'd be nice to see him, there was no way that you could just pick up where you left off. After ten years a lot of things change, your perception of him had been wickedly warped. There'd be relief and closure in getting to talk to him again, but he wasn't the same to you. 

"I'm used to you being-" You paused, eyeing him lazily, he looked like he'd crawled out of the grave, took a shower, and put on a nice outfit. It was still sinking in, "Dead. I'm," Words catching in your throat but this time you didn't allow them to choke you, this time you were able to collect your thoughts, "Living normally. I'd get closure from that," Whatever helping him entailed, "But ultimately, I want to go home."

There was no moving back into your old neighborhood, riding bikes home from school, sitting under the willow tree. Too much had happened for it to go back to that and you didn't want to relive the past. You'd spent all this time trying to forget it or taint it completely black and white. Going back was a reversal of all the progress you'd made as a person. You were your own person and Jeff's ghost needily clung to you wherever you went, you loved and hated him too much to do that. Just hearing that he was alive gave you a sort of panic attack mixed with sensory overload. 

Liu looked slightly taken aback but he quickly recovered, reasoning, "People can be your home too."

"I have people to go home to." The people who felt like home to you were out of reach, Noah, Mom, Bio. 

"You can always make a new one." Liu softly insisted on the ideal of everything just reverting back to the way it used to be. 

You didn't want to argue, you didn't think you had the brain capacity for it. Feeling completely fried. Also, the last time someone argued with him, she got a gun to the head and a serious death threat. You just wanted to get out of here. Closure was a temping magnet though and your decision making skills were muddied. Needing comfort at the moment, escape or joining up with him could be thought about later. 

You hoped he didn't take your silence as agreement. 

Both of you sat there for the longest time, under the Burger King counter. Calming down for the most part, as calm as you could be while being a captive and exhausted from overload. You were as stable as you could get. Liu, being goal oriented, coaxed your fried self to follow him once more. Honestly, you were scared to try and make a run for it. The trio was still sitting there, bickering amongst themselves but still ready to stop you at the drop of a hat. Liu wanted you here, he had a gun, you weren't going to fucking test him, as nice as he was to you. 

He sat you down at an empty table. You glanced up from your freed wrists, Natalie had a pout on her face and refused to look at Liu. Jane's arms were crossed, impatiently drumming her fingers on her clothed biceps. Jack rested his head on a single hand, the other idly flipping the ittybitty blade, that was usually stuffed into the band on his arm, between his fingers.

Though Liu definitely stomped on her pride, she was still a fucking loudmouth. Natalie glanced in your general direction, pointed and tactlessly asked, "Hey so, what the fuck is wrong with her?"

You blinked at her, used to these kinds of rude comments from school. As scary and enigmatic of a figure Liu was, you felt more confident with him standing beside your chair. He wasn't the only one who'd changed over the years, sometimes you challenged the people who were shitty to you, learning from him and Jeff how to stand up for yourself. Like now for example, "Nothing is wrong with me."

The man fidgeted idly with his scarf, looking down to you with pleasant surprise. Natalie kept on pushing, "Then why the fuck did you start crying like that?" Laughing at your suffering, asshole.

You forced yourself to met her eye, speaking as firm as your weakly quaking voice would allow, "It's almost like," Confidence and hatred fueling every word, "I just found out that a person I thought was dead for a fucking decade, is alive." Her lips twitched into a frown at the angry disrespect, you weren't cowering in fear and she didn't like it, "Also, your clock thing is annoying. I can't help being a little bit upset with my situation."

She was silent a moment before retorting, "Well, you're still a little bitch for crying over him."

"I have autism," You blandly pointed out, robotically explaining your thought process, "Finding out about him is upsetting and then there's all _this_ shit going on. Of course I'm going to cry." Liu put a hand on your shoulder, approval. 

Jack spoke over Natalie, for sure about to spat out a tastelessly not well thought out insult, "Hm. Interesting. Is that why you copied me earlier? Echolalia right?" This guy only got weirder as time went on. Threatening to eat your hands and then curious about your stims you used to cope with this shitty situation. Having at least mild knowledge of autism, another surprise pulled from his leathery sleeve. "Be-"

"Shut up Jack." Jane rudely interjected. You got the vibe that she probably didn't want to talk about you, more so wanting to talk about what goal or plan was.

"No." He replied dully.

As amusing as the interaction was, you wanted to get out of here. In order to do that, you needed to get to the point. Figure out what was going on, maybe find a loop hole out. You didn't quite know how to proceed after questioning, you just wanted to sleep. 

Jane took the bait clearly set out to piss her off, "You're such a-"

You interrupted her, "You said you want Jeff to die, why?"

She paused her ranting to turn towards you stiffly, Jack probably already knew how much she disliked him. You couldn't meet her masked eye but you had a feeling she was looking at you, "I told you already. He killed my family six years ago."

You forgot in the moment, stomach dropping as you started to buy her wild story. Jeff took this girl's entire family, just like he took his own. She only further confirmed, "He ruined my life. And I'm going to kill him for it." Deadly serious, you glanced to meet the black eye holes, "I hate everything about him and _everyone_ he has ever associated with." Hidden eyes boring into yours as she spat out the proclamation. You were a victim of circumstance and you hated it, you never asked for your old best friend to go off the rails. Liu seemed to be a different story, one unknown to you but Jane seemed to hold a distinct disdain for the man.

Natalie piped up, "No, I'm gonna kill that little fucker." Little. Jeff was a small kid. You wondered if he was still five foot one and skinnier than a twig. You wondered how his scars healed. 

Liu's grip grew slightly tighter at their chatter. Tense, not liking their plans for his beloved brother, but he let them talk. Probably for your sake. Understanding that it'd be nice to have some context.

"Why?" You questioned. Natalie was labeled as disposable, an outcast in the group, but sharing a common goal. There had to be some deep seated reason for her presence. It couldn't just be that she was so wrapped around Jane's finger, could it?

"None of your fucking businesses." Natalie snapped, cold, hateful. Did she also dislike you for the petty reason of association with the man or was it because she was still mad about falling down the stairs? There was also the fact that Liu was on your side and her ego was mercilessly questioned by the man.

Jack didn't give you time for the information to sink in, joining in, "And I want to dismantle the Establishment."

You only had one thing to say to that, "Huh?"

"Bigger picture." Jack gestured his hands outward, "Jeff's downfall would cause a domino affect that'd bring **him** down quite a few pegs." What read you could get off of his character was that he was more of a cryptic and vague type of person. The message was confusing with little context, but it was the most useful information he'd coughed up the entire time. 

"Bigger picture? **Him**?" You echoed his words with furrowed brows. Bringing a hand up to your jacket, shifting and turning a randomly selected pin between your fingers. 

Liu finally decided to cut in. "He's trapped." You looked up to him, his eye bags looked even deeper from this angle. It took him a moment to continue his explanation, trying to word things in a straight forward way, probably having a good idea of how much you were reeling. "He's working for a boss that won't fire him and he can't quiet either. We are going to try to get him out of the job."

You blinked at him processing, "Okay?" You supposed you got the gist but a lot still made no sense. Still coming to terms that Jeff was alive and had a lot of enemies. He hadn't just killed his parents. 

"He's a lil fucking meat puppet." Natalie painted a vague picture in your head.

Jane added onto it venomously, words almost being spat at Liu, "He's a mass murderer who'd be killing even if he wasn't one of them."

"He's a _what?"_ More than Jane's family, his own. Did he get to Natalie's? Jack's? 

Mercilessly continuing, a twinge of satisfaction in her voice from the distress blooming across your features, "He kills people and _he loves it,_ don't you know? You were his best friend after all. _"_

She took the wind out of your sails enough already, but this was something else. Slowly realizing that he was worse. What if he deserved to die? What did that make Liu if he wanted him to live normally as a kid again? _"Huh?"_

Natalie jumped on the bandwagon that was delivering hard truths, "Little fucker's a real killer, I'll tell ya! Crazy as fuck! I mean I am too and so are Jack and Jane and Liu but like man! That piece'a shit is worse then all of us combined."

You were kind of just hoping that Jack pulled a fresh dead body out of thin air, getting it from a close by morgue maybe. But your better judgement had told you that the idea simply wasn't true. Even if it was, he was still eating human flesh. Jack being a murderer wasn't the most surprising. Natalie, you could see being a murderer. The blatant sadism and enjoyment of control through intimidation and inflicting pain was telling. However to hear confirmation about _her_ only made you more at unease. Jane hadn't pulled any weapons on you other than her fists that were like mini cinder blocks. Wearing a mask made her suspect but you'd suppose you'd wear a mask to keep anonymous with a captive, in case they escaped. You didn't doubt it though, she seemed to be gunning bloodthirstily for you. Liu already was a killer, you just hoped that he hadn't done it again after the one murder ten years ago. Although the gun did not make you very confident. All of them had supposedly killed before. Dangerous. Way off the rails. With nothing to lose. 

You were the odd one out amongst the group. Making you feel small, unsure of your place, scared.

It just might be a lie though, maybe Natalie was lying. Though, if you wanted her to admit it you'd probably have to take a jokier approach. Overanalyzing her, trying to synthetically appeal to the woman, you muttered, "Please say sike."

She blinked at you, processing a moment before speaking, "No. Fuck you." Liu gave her a look of unamusement. "Aww, you gonna defend your lil girlfriend again?"

You and Liu shared a look, brows raised and lips tight. He glanced back at Natalie, "I'm gay."

She scoffed, "Me too, and?" Completely missing the point or dropping the ball on the conversation.

"Nat," Jack refused to address her by the clownish title of Clockwork, "What was your point?"

Frowning, getting threatened then treated like she was an idiot, being kicked while she was already down. Voice holding a weighty bitterness, "Shut the fuck up, lard ass." She hissed at the kind of blind man before pointing an accusatory finger to Liu, "You're protecting the newbie a lot. Favoritism much?"

You weren't a part of their sick trio. Liu was a separate entity in your head and you'd never be like them. You weren't the fucking newbie.

"I favor (Y/n) because I care about her." Even after all this time? If he cared about you then why didn't he come to see you before? Why didn't he let you know that he was okay? Well, you just might have snitched on him. You were friends first, but he did kind of murder an innocent woman. "We need her to get Jeff out and it's important to me that she's in a good mindset. God knows that," He sighed, further fidgeting with his scarf, "Jeff isn't."

"How are we going to get him fired?" You were stuck on the thought that maybe he was in the mafia or some other type of organized crime. Jeff killed his parents because they were bad people who hurt him and Liu. There was a solid motivation brought on by years of trauma. Though it didn't make it right, it made sense. Jane must have wronged him somehow, crossed the man so badly that he was driven to another atrocity. Jeff wouldn't just kill randomly for no reason. He wasn't like that.

"We track him down," Jane chimed in without insulting you for once, "Well, _I_ track him down. I'm the only one who can." Ah there it is, passive aggressively putting her partners down to make herself feel better.

"I can too." Jack informed dryly.

"But you never do!" Jane hissed, false face snapping to him.

"I don't feel like it. You do it perfectly fine on your own." He casually shrugged, flipping the scalpel from finger to finger like a boy in seventh grade with a pencil.

"Slacker." The woman insulted the man who could undoubtedly crush her skull in the palm of his hand. Utterly fearless and fueled by rage.

"I brought _this_ together." He lazily waved his hand about, gesturing to the group at hand, "I know the most about how **he** works." Though he claimed to be the causation for the group with a somewhat common goal in mind, he didn't seem like the leader in the slightest. Either he was too lazy or didn't like leading groups of people. 

"You've made your point." Jane stopped him before he felt the need to continue. Disproven, not too happy about it but willing to somewhat admit that she was wrong. The two stared one another down as well as a somewhat blind man and a masked woman could.

Not giving a shit about their little rivalry, Liu spoke to you, "We're going to meet up with him-"

"More like we're going to show up at his next killing spree." Natalie huffed in a laugh, "God," Working eye set predatory on you, "I'd love to kill someone right about now."

Killing spree? You swallowed a thick lump in your throat. The image of who he was now only seemed to further rot in your mind, no image other than fuzzy memories and reshared Facebook pictures. You hardly remembered the police sketch renderings of him at twenty, you hardly even looked at them. Not able to handle it completely yet. And was she referring to you or was she just saying in general? Either way it was chilling to have someone talk about killing so casually, so desirable.

Liu's head snapped to look at her so fast, almost like he had an innate sense for when someone wanted to bring you bodily harm or insult you. Hand traveling down his scarf, hanging beside his holster. Continuing while staring the woman down, "You and I," He firmly squeezed your shoulder, "Are going to talk some sense into him. Seeing us together like old times will work, _he wants it too."_ You tightened your lips into a hard line, you weren't going to live out his fantasy of reliving the old shitty days of being a bunch of stunted kids again. "He'll see the light. I just know it."

You glanced to the light behind Jack. Freedom from these people. Closure was cool and all, but you didn't want to be in the midst of a killing spree. You didn't want to see a dead body or get stabbed. It was good to see Liu again but he had to know that things couldn't be normal even if he did achieve his goal. They were all fucking scary. You wanted to go to the light.

But Liu's hand was on your shoulder so approvingly. Acceptance and care even after all these years. So desperate to help his brother that he worked with three people who clearly wanted to see him die. Liu Woods who'd do anything to help his brother, ward off bad rumors, and beat the shit out of anyone who lay a finger on his head. Could you really let him down? Did you owe him your help because he was so broken down and fucked up? Maybe reuniting with Jeff, getting him fired, would help him.

"He'll see the light alright." Jane commented in a much darker tone, a devilish chuckle leaving her hidden lips. 

"Just try it and I'll send you to hell." Liu lowly growled, finally acknowledging her.

"I'd like to see you try." The woman challenged while uncrossing her legs, heel softly clicking on the tile. Was she really going to take him now? When they needed one another to get Jeff fired in the first place?

Slightly holier than thou, an air of patience Jane didn't seem to have, "In due time." He softly tugged on your bomber, suggesting you get up, "Speaking of time," He glanced to Natalie, perhaps checking the time on her eye, "We should get going."

"Where are we going?" Home. You wanted to go home. But you didn't think any of them were going to give you the option anytime soon. You preferred yourself bullet hole and stab wound free, you weren't going to make a stupid run for it now. You'd run when you were sure you could get away. Confident-ish that they wouldn't kill you for some time.

"Fishkill, New York." Liu informed as you stood, full of second thoughts. Dread painfully churning in your gut at the idea of confronting Jeff after all these years. What would you even say? What would he say?

Jane hastily got up from her seat, uncrossing her arms. Ready to roll, eager to have Jeff dead at her feet as soon as possible.

"Let's go." She said even though Liu already made the call. Wanting to further enforce her role as the leader of the ragtag group of adult train wrecks.

"About time." Natalie perked up, the time to kill Jeff drawing closer in her head. You hadn't seen any real evidence other than convincing testimonies. It was three against one on the votes to see the man die. All of them bad people, morals skewed. But somehow most of them came to the conclusion that Jeffery Woods must die.

Did he deserve it?

The floor rattled under his boots as he stood, unspeaking. Jane's masked gaze lingered on you a few moments as Natalie and Jack made their way toward the light. The outside. She didn't say anything for once. Perhaps trusting and agreeing with Liu on one thing. Not letting you run away. She spun around, heels loudly clicking against the tile. 

His hand shifted from your shoulder to the midpoint of your back, "Let's not keep him waiting, my friend."

You followed his lead, hand supporting you but keeping you by his side without harshly gripping you. There was a soft breeze that shifted your (h/l) locks about. The sky above was a pale blue, spotted with clouds. In the not too far off distance were purple tinted clouds, a fat encompassing mass that promised a pelting storm.

The light led into the world's shittiest parking lot. Plants peaking out through the asphalt, partially dead. Various debris, tires, pallets, broken beer bottles, scattered about. The only thing that didn't look like complete ass was the tan van neatly parked in a space lined with faded white. It was still pretty ugly though. It's side heavily dented and paint chipping. The car had been through a lot, but it looked well maintained, the mismatched hubcaps seemed to shine and it was spotless.

The trio waited by the car. Liu didn't pick up the pace at all, he'd get to it on his own time. Your eyes darted about, still stuck on the idea of maybe getting the hell out of here. There was a wide road ahead, overgrown and just an uneven path of gravel. You saw no incoming cars. No idea where exactly you were, no one to call without a phone, the only way out was with a bullet through the knee or to ride shotgun beside an old friend and a murderer.

"Took ya long enough." Natalie commented as the man reached for his keys, daintily jingling in his pocket. Clock tick tocking out the time, you stared a moment as Liu fumbled with his keys. Ten forty-three. "What'chu looking at, huh?" She mock jumped at you with hands outstretched. You flinched, arms coming to your front in a weak defensive stance. She snickered, relaxing in her spot, "Fucking baby."

Liu gave her a nasty side eye while pressing a black button on his keys. The van's doors loudly unlocked. Natalie didn't make any more comments for the moment. Jane reached for the door to the passenger seat, opening it just a few inches before Liu put his foot in the center of the door. Pushing it shut, staring her down hatefully.

"I need to talk to you." Jane reasoned with a tinge of obvious annoyance in her voice. Hand still tugging on the handle, the door opening just hardly before it was forced shut by his weight once more. Honestly, Jane seemed the type to do anything to assert her authority, sitting in the front might make her feel more in control. Though she may very well have actual concerns and plans to run over with Liu, she could very well do that from the back.

Speaking to her once more, trying to be completely flat but failing to hide the clear rancor he held for the woman, "I don't care." From sweetly helping you through a hellish mix of over stimulation and a panic attack to pettily keeping the woman from sitting in shotgun. Liu's dichotic character was jarring. 

Natalie and Jack seemed to know their place on the food chain or they just didn't give a shit where they sat. The duo rounding to the back of the car, popping open the back doors. Natalie gesturing to the inside, "Fat asses first."

"Why thank you." The car shifted and rocked harshly under his weight, squeaking obnoxiously. Natalie jumping in after him while the two fashionable murderers stared one another down. 

The hateful tension between the two was so intense that the air around them felt thick and charged. The hairs on the back of your neck standing on edge as you stood frozen. You were not about to say something and get caught in any possible crossfire.

Natalie didn't share the same sentiment, shouting from the inside of the van, "Can we fucking go already? _Merci beaucoup!"_ Annoyed sarcasm dripping from every single syllable. 

Either done with the bullshit or wanting to fall into Natalie's admittedly buff arms, Jane released the door handle. Snobbishly huffing, "Let's just get going already. We've wasted enough of our time." She said like she wasn't the second half of the standoff. 

The woman finally climbed into the back of the van. grabbing the doors from the inside and slamming them shut. He removed his boot from the car door, a slight dent in the metal. Terrifying. He pulled the door open all the way, gesturing to the inside of the car, "After you."

"Thanks." You mumbled, staggering forward and climbing into the chair. Shifting your butt to the center of the seat. It was neat, not a piece of trash in sight. No crumbs, no empty soda bottles in the cup holders. A mini black pine tree cutout hanging from his rear view mirror, reading _'Black Licorice'._ The door shut at you side as you robotically went about the routine of pulling your seat belt over your torso. Clicking it shut while he rounded the front of the car. 

"Natalie, move over." Jane huffed from behind. You tensed, not liking the idea of them being so close.

"You know you like it when I'm all over you." The woman shamelessly flirted while you glanced in the mirror. The three of them sitting on a mattress, Jack slightly bending down to avoid bumping his head on the roof. Natalie trying to lean on a very pissy Jane. 

Harshly pushing her away with a gloved hand, "Get off."

"Ahaha, later." Natalie joked, obliging but still flirting.

You and Jack seemed to think the same thing but he was the only one who voiced it, "Gross."

"You're just mad cuz you're single." Natalie teased while you tried your best to take in the sight of the furniture. 

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." The man dryly retorted.

You were pleasantly surprised to find the back of the van free of chairs. Instead it looked like a mini home. A mattress neatly made shoved up against one side of the van, the three sitting on it. The other side was furnished with a mini-fridge, a microwave atop it. A wooden cabinet bolted to the floor, above it, hanging from a screw jammed into the wall, was a picture. It's frame messy and scratched, spots of brown adorning the jagged glass. Wasn't it unsafe to leave broken glass in a frame? It was so wildly out of place in the neat aesthetic, dirty and old.

After a few seconds of observing it, you found yourself looking to the long brown locks that always lazily rested on Jeff's shoulders. Liu's hair not styled into a mullet, smiling and free of scars. The two giving the camera a respective middle finger and a peace sign. You remember that picture. You took it with a Polaroid Jeff stole from the lost and found. Only getting a single photo from it at the time, the rest of the film already used. Liu insisted on framing the thing, keeping it on his bedside table. The three of you honestly forgot about the camera pretty quickly. Only buying one set of film, burning through it taking stupid pictures that you could hardly remember at this point. All you knew was that the ones you took home with you after a day full of laughter were in the dump now. Throwing the physical reminders of the supposedly dead boys away after coming to terms with their sins.

The driver's side door popped open and the car shifted. Liu throwing himself into the driver's seat, pulling his seat belt over his long torso whilst shutting the door. Putting the keys in the ignition, van sputtering for a few seconds before the engine finally turned over with a loud purr. The radio lighting up in a soft green, music seedily resuming quietly over the speakers.

_"Twisted every way, what answer can I give?"_

The woman's voice angelic, every note rolling off her unseen tongue with a valor you only wished you could have. Liu wiping out his phone from his pocket, unlocking it.

_"Am I to risk my life, to win the chance to live?"_

Pulling up Google Maps, getting a signal even in butt-fuck nowhere. It was beautiful, the candid view of the man idly working away at his phone screen. Thumbs moving rigidly.

_"Can I betray the man who once inspired my voice?"_

It was still odd, the scars that tore through the sides of his face. Growing from a scrawny teen to an adult was one thing, but doing it with extreme and obvious scarring and trauma was another. You wondered how bad they hurt, if he resented Jeff for it, why he still chased after the boy who tried to kill him.

_"Do I become his prey? Do I have any choice?"_

Pulling up the town on his phone, pressing _'go',_ an electronic voice read out, _"In one-hundred feet, take a right onto Oldwood road."_ Placing the phone on the radio to glance at for reference later. The destination three hours away. Three hours to sit with your hands fidgeting on your lap and terrified of the people around you.

_"He kills without a thought, he murders all that's good."_

Car lurching forward, Liu pressed gently on the gas and turning the car toward the exit of the mess of a parking lot. Natalie piped up from the back, "Ayo, what the fuck is this?"

_"I know I can't refuse and yet, I wish I could."_

Liu dryly responded to the question that had a rude insulting undertone, "It's art."

_"Oh God, if I agree,"_

"It sounds like over dramatic horseshit to me." Natalie chided, laugh grating on your ears more than the soft song.

_"What horrors wait for me,"_

Liu didn't entertain conversation with the annoying gnat any longer. Turning the corner while the phone bleeped out, _"In three miles, take a right onto Stonewall Road."_

_"In this, the Phantom's opera."_

You were having the hardest time relaxing as Liu drove onward. Seeing Jeff again under such horrible pretenses. Going to help him, someone who sounded undeserving, but someone in the past who you loved dearly. His fate was thrust into your hands. There was also the fact that you were mentally drained from the mornings events. How is it only almost eleven in the morning?

Song after song, all from the same set of singers. Detailing the dramatic tale of _'The Phantom of The Opera'_ completely out of order. You tried your best to focus on the main actresses, Christine's, voice. Singing her woes and wistful sentiments out wonderfully. Yet her voice could not quell the incoming encounter. Part of you hoped they were lying. Just pulling your leg incredibly elaborately. If they were you didn't get the joke.

You were so goddamn tired but you didn't feel safe with the trio in the back, occasionally bickering and verbally berating one another over and over. Fists clenched tight and heels rocking on the cars rumbling floor.

"(Y/n)." Liu spoke quietly above the music in a lull in the trio's arguing.

"Hm?" You stiffly turned to him. The most familiar face but still warped, twisted and gnarled, unfamiliar beneath the skin. 

"It's okay to get some rest if you need it." It was eerie how little his jaw could move, lips just hardly opening and shutting. It had to be an awkward struggle to eat or maybe he could further open his mouth, just preferring not to because it had to be deeply uncomfortable. "I can turn the radio off if you want and I'll do my best to avoid any bumps." A rigid smile at the corners of his lips, warm yet weak.

"You're safe with me." Were you? You sure didn't feel like it but you were also desperately hoping that you were.

Only able to respond with an, "Okay." Turning your head to the window, watching the world pass you by. Not entirely in control of your own fate, but Liu was the only one who wanted to give you the illusion of choice. Kind, comforting, off. But none of that changed how exhausted you were. The second you let your eyelids close and muscles relax, you were out like a light.


	10. 9 - We'll Meet Again

_"Hurry it up already." Matt barked from the drivers seat of the car. Engine quietly rumbling, bags shoved into the trunk, hired moving van drivers already on their way to Connecticut. All that was left to go was the Woods family._

_But the Woods siblings didn't want to go. Liu liked it here, he had plenty of friends and was confident in his chances of getting his crush to go on a date with him. Jeff hated Westfeild, but Jeff found that hate came easy to him. Despite the fact that this is where he grew up, where all sorts of horrible things had been done to him, he didn't want to leave. It wasn't about the town itself, it was that_ you _were in it and you couldn't come along._

_The three of you were in a tight knot of a group hug._ _Jeff sniveling into your shoulder, holding you as tight as he could, fingers digging into you back almost painfully. Almost like if he let go of you then you'd disappear from his world all together. Liu kept rocking the group side to side, your arm around each boy._

_"Text me everyday or I'll come back here and," Jeff's voice was a lowly croak, "Piss in your Cheerios."_

_"Come back here even if it isn't to do that." You mumbled out a reply, trying to keep the quiver out of your voice for Jeff's sake._

_"I'll have my license soon enough." Liu tried to comfort the group and himself, "We'll be back sooner than you know it."_

_He was just on the cusp of turning sixteen, already studied up on the rules of the road. He was sure to get his permit and from there his license. Then you could see the boys, go on long drives, go wherever you wanted._

_"Boys!" Shelia snapped from the passenger side window. Trying not to be extremely shitty in front of you, they liked to put on an artificially clean and shiny appearance of normalcy. But you knew how rotten they were under all that polish, how your boys were having to follow them._

_"I don't wanna go." Jeff whined, skinny arms managing to hold you tighter and tighter, shaking between your bodies._

_"I know," Liu grumbled, having to leave behind his chance of a summer romance that could have led to something so much grander, "But we have to."_

_"Jeff!" Matt's tone only grew sterner, "Liu!" Time was running out._

_"I'm going to miss you, (Y/n)." Liu rocked the group faster._

_"I'm gonna miss you too, man." You were so tired from staying up all night but you didn't think you'd get any sleep today. Too busy with plans to cry your eyes out and text fervently back and forth with the boys when they weren't driving through a dead zone._

_"And I'm," Jeff's fingers dug into your back, hot tears dripping onto your neck, "Gonna miss you the most."_

_"Get in the car, now." Shelia's voice grew icy, cold and uncaring that her sons were upset. Just needing a little bit more time with you in Westfeild, New Jersey. They didn't care though, just like most of the issues their boys clearly had. Turning a blind eye to or punishing them for things that were out of their hands._

 _As much as he hated his parents, he knew when to stop to minimize the lecturing and other shit they_ ' _d do if he didn't conform. Patting you back a few times before pulling away, Liu gave you a warm smile, wide and genuine. "Goodbye (Y/n). I'll see you soon."_

_You returned his smile, albeit weakly, "Goodbye Liu." You gave him a one armed wave, still holding Jeff while he climbed into the car. "I'm lookin' forward to it."_

_Jeff suddenly pulled back, although not completely. Hands on either one of your shoulders and face a foot or so from yours, his baby blue eyes rimmed with red, another wave of tears threatening to spill over his eyelids._

_"I uh," He began, sputtering with a red face, "I uhm." He paused, deeply sighing to collect himself, "I luhh- I luuuhhh-" Jeff couldn't see to get the words out of his mouth no matter how much he tried. Constantly averting his gaze before attempting to meet your eyes once more, grip tightening and loosening on a dime. "I- Fuck it." Quick as could be, he closed to distance between you two and placed a tight lipped peck on your cheek. You smiled at him for returning the gesture you gave to him only hours before. Ripping himself away and blabbering, "I'm gonna really, really, really_ _miss you, (Y/n)."_

_"And I'm really, really, really going to miss you too." You bittersweetly smiled at the boy who stared at you with an open mouth and wet cheeks._

_**BEEP!**_

_Your heads whipped toward the car, Matt's palm firmly resting on the horn. Brow stern and lips in a deep frown. Time was up for the two of you._

_Jeff's grip on your shoulders lingered a few more moments while his breaths shuddered, a few more stray tears rolling down his cheeks. Mouth opening and shutting, an internal debate. "Bye."_

_His hands removed themselves from your shoulders, looking over his shoulder the entire time he made his way to the car. Liu's head peaking out of the open door, smiling goofily at the two of you. Moving for Jeff to get in, giving you one last look over without a barrier of metal or distance between the two of you._

_"I'll see you soon." You comforted the boy as he shakily reached for the car door's inner handle. Not looking away once, not even blinking, probably not even breathing._

_"Yeah," He replied hollowly, "I'll see you soon." Jeff shut the car door, leaving weighty statements unsaid._

_You walked side by side with the car as it rolled down the steep driveway. Returning the boy's waving with faltering smiles and tear slicked cheeks. It sucked a fat load of ass but you all had phones to connect you._

_You ran beside the car as long as you legs would allow, slowing to a stop and waving obnoxiously with both of your arms as they disappeared into the distance. The Woods family was gone._

_That was okay though. You'd be seeing them again before you knew it, they'd keep their promise._

**\----**

Your eyes pried themselves open to sound of rumbling ambiance mixed with a woman belting off the highest note you'd ever heard. There was also the gruff voice that said, "Stop fucking looking at me like that."

"Nat," Jack began as you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes, "I can not see."

"I know you can see me though! Stop looking bitch!" You couldn't tell if it was playful or not.

Yawning and stretching out your sore back, you listened to the group go back and forth, "I can't turn echolocation off."

Jane entered the conversation with a real solid argument, "Try."

Jack hummed idly, "I don't expect much from you most of the time, but this is a whole new level of stupidity Jane."

"I _am not_ stupid." You checked the time, nearly two in the afternoon. You'd been out for roughly three hours. 

"Uh-huh." Jack pretended to agree. Google Map's said that you were fifteen minutes from your destination. 

"I'm not!" The woman snapped, raising her voice.

"You're with the person who just said ants are spiders." Jack deadpanned while you further focused your eyes on the phone screen. ' _Forty-five Gravel Trail Road'._ Not a single other square on the zoomed in map, isolated and surrounded by green.

"They have a bunch'a legs and they both bite. Same fucking thing." Natalie defended her idea with valor. Was it a big home? A cabin in the woods? Would there really be a killing spree in such an isolated spot? Would Jeff be there?

"No it's not." You still couldn't believe all this was happening, your brain could barely keep up with the reality that was your life. It'd only been two or three days since this all began. You had a hard time keeping track, but it didn't take a long time for your world to be flip turned upside down. 

"Shut up, egghead." What a childish insult. You couldn't fucking believe that you were kidnapped by someone who just unironically said egghead in an argument. You also couldn't completely accept that you were going to see Jeff soon. It felt like a bald faced lie but then again, Liu was alive too. 

"Hey," The man himself finally spoke, noticing your freshly conscious state, "How was your nap?" 

"No." The argument in the back of the van continued.

"Fine." You shortly replied, mildly overwhelmed. You didn't want to talk about the dream, the vivid look into the past. Though you couldn't smell anything in your dream, you had the vague idea the entire time that you smelled gasoline, burnt Barbie dolls, and the various flowers from the Woods family garden. Over the years, whenever you smelled begonias or tiger lilies you thought of their front yard, obnoxiously smelling flowers with Jeff because he wanted to see if he could get high off of them. He did not.

"You should shut up, Jack." Jane pettily huffed. 

"We're only a few minutes from Fishkill." Liu continued like nothing was happening. Like there wasn't a bunch of adult murder children in his car and home. Like you were on a family roadtrip and he was a tired father who was doing everything to ignore his kids and get through the next few hours of miserable driving. 

"No." Jack echoed what you assumed to be his favorite word.

You blinked at the man, trying to get a grip, "What's the plan?" Forcing yourself to ask questions, stay informed while trying not to check out mentally. 

"I'll make you shut up." Jane challenged in a growl, a loud _thump_ from the back. You glanced in the rear view mirror to find that she was standing wobbly.

"We're mostly going to observe. Let him know that we're there and then we may try to talk to him." Liu explained, following the flatly read out directions. Pulling onto an unevenly paved road, lined with trees. "He may not be open to talking at first though. We'll have to play it by ear but this is a big first step." He continued on positively, "I know it'll be scary but it'll go just fine. Trust me." 

Wait, did that mean you were in this for the long haul? Having to do this shit over and over until Jeff got fired? How long would that take? You only came along because you knew there was no other choice, but the second you got an opening alone, you'd make a run for it. But could you actually abandon Liu like that? He needed help and seemed to care about Jeff. If you left then he'd have no means to free your old friend, even with all that he'd done would you be willing to betray him like that? But he betrayed and left _you_ behind, he fucked _you_ over. Then you started to question if you could get away for very long, all of them were nuts and Jack was clearly inhuman. Dangerously capable. God, you needed to get to the fucking cops.

The argument kept on going while conflicting thoughts contradicted each other nonstop, "It'd be amazing to see you try." 

Though you'd glanced away from the mirror you had a feeling they were moving around back there. The car slightly jostling and the sound of shifting clothes. Liu continuing over Natalie's cackled comments, "We're going to weaken _it's_ hold on him. When he sees you, us, he'll finally see that he can have the life he once had again. He'll fight it, he'll fight for us." Had Jeff and Liu reunited before? You still didn't understand how the 'weakening hold' thing worked. What is _it?_ Liu had proven to be quite delusional, Jeff might like his new life. Whatever it comprised of. 

You still didn't know what to say to that.

"Then I will." Jane proclaimed boldly while you looked to the road ahead. The distant storm clouds you saw earlier weren't hanging overhead and slamming water onto the metal roof. It was actually quite sunny, clear skies and an unsure future ahead. There was more jostling from the back of the van while conversation between you and Liu died down. Leather shifting and a sharp gasp.

_"WHAT?!"_

You turned your head behind the seat in sudden confusion and alarm. What you saw only made the feelings so much worse.

Jack was still sitting, way too tall to stand up comfortably in the van. Jane wasn't standing at all, hanging upside down in the pathway between Liu's makeshift kitchen and mattress. He wasn't holding her up with his hands. Arms crossed over his chest and a smile twitching at the edges of his lips. Jane was hanging by the skin above her ankle boot by a thick black snake? You squinted and further turned around in the seat, trying to figure out what the hell it was.

While snickering and not helping Jane at all, Natalie said, "Put her down."

It wasn't perfectly cylindrical, having some angles to it, genuinely looking like the body of a snake with it's scales. Slowly shifting around her leg, end coming to a softened point, originating from the bottom of Jack's trench coat.

You blinked a couple of times, surprise after surprise. Jane's free leg kicked at the appendage _,_ holding her skirt up so she wouldn't flash the whole car, _"PUT ME DOWN OR I'LL FUCK YOUR MOTHER!"_ You flinched back, the roar not even directed at you in the slightest, but still made your skin crawl.

Jane swayed side to side with the movement of the car. Continuing to struggle and scream at Jack, half baked insults and threats of violence that felt very real to you.

Jack was completely unaffected, "No you won't." In fact, he sounded like he was on the verge of laughing.

Liu let out a dramatically exasperated sigh, jimmying the steering wheel. The entire vehicle shaking vigorously side to side, "Stop that." He sounded incredibly uninterested in their antics, not even glancing in the rear view mirror. It was like this was business as usual for him. 

You on the other hand couldn't look away. What in god's name was that thing? Did Jack have a crazily good trained attack snake or something? Was that a part of his body? If so, why didn't you see it's outline under his clothes? They weren't that baggy, you were sure you would have noticed at some point. You'd spoken few words since you'd woken up but you had the need to voice your thoughts, "What the actual fuck?"

"I can sense that you're staring." Jack needlessly turned his head your way, blind eyes blanking starting into yours. 

"Sense my fat ass." Natalie scoffed, "You're not like ohm-nip-I-tent or whatever." You couldn't tell if she had a wild misconception of how the word was pronounced or if English just wasn't her first language.

"Omnipotent." Jack corrected as the woman continued to kick and thrash, free fist banging against Liu's little cabinet. 

"What is-" You were terrified as you were curious, looking for anything to distract yourself from the day ahead, "What is that and how does it work?"

"Long story." Jack decided to leave you in the dark, not giving you the escapism that you desired. 

_"STOP TALKING AND PUT ME DOWN! NOW!"_ Jane screeching swinging back and forth, long hair sweeping along the floor of the van. 

Liu slammed on the breaks, all of you except Jack jerking violently forward. Him just sitting there quietly with lips sucked into his mouth, trying to keep his cool with such a stressful day ahead. Maybe not wanting to scare you off more than he already had. Jack complied with putting the woman down, wanting to get the mission back on track as soon as possible. That or he'd had his fill of fun. She immediately tried to choke him out with her tiny hands. He just looked at her the whole time, completely fine while she cursed him out. 

You picked up your nervous laughter, fidgeting with the skin around your fingertips. Stressed as all hell, coming closer and closer to the destination. Jane sending harshly worded threats from the backseat at you for laughing, you didn't reply to them. Taking mild solace in Liu's cold glares sent to her through the rear view mirror. 

Sure, the events that transpired earlier were mind boggling, but you had bigger mental fish to fry. Trying to figure your shit out. Jeff told you not to be a doormat to what people wanted you to be. Then he disappeared and fucked you over. But you look that lesson to heart and tried harder to be less of a push over and here you were, letting yourself get pushed around. The thing was that you had to or you feared for extreme bodily harm that any of the trio would undoubtedly give to you with a smile. If you got the chance to run, would you take it, still following the life lesson? Or would you disregard it and let yourself be used all for a man who traumatized you? The lingering love and warm memories were the only thing that let you entertain the idea. Even after everything, Jeff was still Jeff. And he used to always be there for you. You may get to live without any scarring, but living with yourself after letting the opportunity for closure slip right though your fingers sounded shitty.

Liu turned Google Maps off in front of a long and steep driveway. You could just barely see the wooden roof. Instead of going up the incline, Liu went a bit further and pulled the car off the side of the road. Under low hanging branches that were thick with leafs.

And then you waited. And waited. And waited.

You asked Liu what the deal was and Jane answered for him. She was the real expert on Jeff's movements. Going on about how she did something, she didn't care to go into much detail, to find exactly where he was. Knowing that he'd be in that house around eleven eleven in the evening. You supposed Liu just liked to be annoyingly early to things because the lot of you sat in that car for agonizingly long hours. Tense anticipation keeping you awake. Petty argument after petty argument breaking out. At one point Liu put his hand on the holster, fingers twitching as he considered pulling the gun on the group. Completely over their dysfunctional antics.

In the end no one was shot and no one else was hung upside down by the appendage that you watched disappear back into Jack's clothes. The sun went down and headlights came down the road, one car at a time. Going up the steep driveway to where you knew a supposedly homicidal manic would be in just a few hours. Liu said it was all a part of the plan, the visitors fates had already been sealed by outside forces. Nihilistically telling you that even if you warned them, they'd die anyway. It was a goddamn bummer. Control outside of your hands, it was scary.

You watched the clock on the green stereo display strike eleven eleven. No one got out of the car yet, you just knew that Jeff was here now. Entering the house, fates of the unseen people in the cars sealed. Death to come that you hopefully wouldn't see. It was a weird feeling, knowing explicitly of what was going to happen and not being able to do anything about it. Being involved with the one committing unseen atrocities. 

Under layers of dread was foolish excitement. Getting to see your old best friend after so many years apart. Entertaining fantasies where he didn't go off the rails and you grew up normally together. A what if scenario of him actually being an okay guy now and all them were lying for stupid reasons. Reconnecting, the spark of friendship reigniting hot and fast. That'd be nice but you knew that's wasn't going to happen, even if Liu thought it would.

It was eleven twenty-two when you heard it. Hushed by distance and trees but distinct, a scream, bloody murder. You tensed, a chill crawling horribly down your spine, goosebumps standing on end. But no one got out of the car yet.

"It's best to wait until he's nearly or completely done. Jeff doesn't like being interrupted in the middle of his spree killings. He'll be a good mood at the end of it anyway." Spoken so calmly, free of morals or a sense of justice. Just letting the slaughter happen because he believed it inevitable and Jeff being in a good mood was supposedly more important than innocent people's lives.

So you just had to sit there. Minute after agonizing minute, listening to screams of people you'd never met. Deeply disturbing, feeling voyeuristic for hearing the cries they let out before death was forced upon them. You crossed your arms over your chest and rocked softly in an act of self comfort, everyone else didn't seem to bat an eye. 

Liu really was devoted to his brother. It was sickening.

Eleven forty-six is when Jane spoke up, "It's time." It'd only been twenty-six minutes since the first scream, possibly not the first death, but the first time someone found something to be terribly wrong. Could one person kill so many other human beings in such a short time? 

You didn't want to get out of the car. Feeling boneless and like your flesh was replaced with jelly. But it was either get out of the car yourself and at least have a say in how you moved, or be carried out like a push over. With shaking hands you unbuckled your seat belt.

You stood shaking at the base of the driveway, fidgeting with the buttons on your bomber. The crickets were loud, distracting, overwhelming; you felt like your ears were going to start ringing any second now. Just finding out he was alive nearly thirteen hours ago and now so close. Still cautious that you were going to run, which was fair because you planned on possibly doing so, there was one person at every side of you. Front, back, right, left. Jane, Liu, Jack, Natalie. Liu's hand on your tense back, trying to bring you comfort that it'd be fine. That you were doing the right thing.

"Jane." Liu addressed the woman by name, cold and calculated. She tilted her head to the slide ever so slightly, listening but not making a snide comment. "Remember not to cut in. I can protect (Y/n) fine on my own if anything goes downhill." That didn't sound promising in the slightest, "Remember that you are here to observe," That and she probably insisted on coming, not wanting to miss out on a chance to hatefully stare down her greatest enemy, "Jeff might be in shock when he sees or talks to (Y/n), _do not_ use it as an opportunity to attack him. Trust me when I say you _not_ intervening will make the transition a lot smoother."

Her response was a short and stern, "Fine."

Everything about her was rigid and yet there was an undeniable shake in her gloved fists. Angry at the very thought of being near the man she despised. You didn't know her well, except you knew _very_ well that her temper was explosive. You couldn't shake the feeling that what you'd seen was only the tip of the iceberg. 

The driveway crunched under your dirty sneakers. Skin crusty with sweat. When was the last time you showered? It didn't feel real. It was like all the houses lights were on, illuminating the upper half of the driveway in a blinding sickly yellow. Dread painfully heavy in your guts. At the apex of the driveway you could see it. The house.

The first thing you noticed was a dead guy on the pathway that lead to the driveway. Laying face down, white t-shirt stained red. You were glad you weren't closer to see the details. Your first instinct was to go over to him, ask if he was okay, try to help, call an ambulance, but you couldn't. They wouldn't let you and it was pretty obvious he was as dead as a door nail. Natalie grabbing your arm when you mindlessly took a few too many steps forward. It was sickening how much her touch grounded you, but it also only made things worse. Smiling at your discomfort, the poor man dead in the dirt. There were six or so cars in the driveway, at least six people to be killed, probably more. 

It mattered not why they came to this place, for a vacation or a party, there were still dead people. One was slumped against the open door, partially curled up so you couldn't see their face. Side coming inward _way_ too much to be healthy, red painting the brown door and carpeted floor under their crumpled body. You could just barely make out a clothed arm peaking out of the door frame. Fingertips violently twitching, probably in shock, probably going to die soon. 

You clenched your jaw, doing your best to keep the bile in your stomach down. Throat feeling like it was constricting shut. It wasn't quiet. There wasn't just the breathing of the people around you, the _tick tock_ of Natalie's clock, the crickets buzzing, there was more to it. Another layer to it, four actually. 

_"PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE!"_ A voice shrieked, catching your eye was a distant silhouette of someone running out from behind the house's frame, shrill and deafening despite the distance. In a full dead sprint behind them was someone else who's details you could not make out. All you knew was that she was laughing, chasing after them. The two disappearing into the woods around the home.

But you could still hear them, screaming out pleas for mercy. Their pursuer cackling out in a singsong tone, " _COME'ERE BABY GIRL! I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU THE MAKEOVER OF A LIFETIME!"_

_"BACK OFF OR I'LL KILL YOU, I SWEAR!"_ Another voice, closer, shrieked defensively, you looked to the uneven flicking glow of orange from behind the house. Friends having a get together, maybe roasting marshmallows. Telling campfire stories of dumb teenagers killing killed off for getting too hot and heavy. 

The sound made your skin crawl, it felt all encompassing, boisterous, unabashedly loud, the laughter. It was closer than the predator and prey in the woods; gravely and low, completely mocking. Having no response for the terrified person other than that, not running to their aid or calling for help. 

Standing there, still, frozen, you couldn't move. Just watching the flicking light. Stretching lines of darkness, shadows. You couldn't look away from the dancing light, hardly noticing the grip on your arm falling away. Three people splitting off in different directions. Going about the task of observing in different ways. It was just you and Liu, and you could hardly think about his presence. Horribly entranced with the laughter, the moving shadows.

There was a tinge of expectant excitement in his voice as he came beside you to whisper, "He's in a good mood tonight. This will work out well for us." Hand on your back gently pushing you forward as your thousand yard stare continued ahead. 

Please no.

The bodies. These people. This wasn't normal. The brothers were supposed to be dead. This shouldn't be happening. But it was anyways. 

Mindlessly following his direction, all of your mental energy going toward not completely losing your shit. If you wanted to get out of here you needed to collect yourself, to think clearly. It was like there was an invisible barrier of nothingness stopping you and you just couldn't pass it. You didn't know why it was there or how it kept you boxed in so well, but it made it so you followed Liu's guiding hand toward the light. You could do something about it but you didn't, somehow unable. Mentally trapped, like a sailor following a sirens call.

Passing the face down body, red solo cup still in hand. The reeking scent of blood and booze coming up from the earth around it. Passing the deceased by without a glance, walking along the side of the house. 

_"NO!"_ The laughter just grew louder at the cry, shrieking and heaving breaths in between fits of chortles. You couldn't see them yet. You could only see the stones of the patio and edges of plastic chairs. Bathed in shifting orange and the occasional yellow.

Liu stopped your advance as the person screeched, _"STOP!"_

How did you get here? Where did you go wrong? Did you deserve this for not noticing how bad Jeff was spiraling toward murder at thirteen?

"I'll be right here." Liu pushed you forward a step, with mouth agape and dry you whipped your head to him. Eyes bulging and pleading with him. Mental presence horribly coming back to you in the moment, skin tingling and heart racing. Aware of every little sound and shift of the breeze. Able to put together the awful equation together, he wanted you to go out there and let Jeff see you all alone. What happened to him seeing you both together? Maybe he didn't want to overwhelm the clearly mentally fucked maniac. Maybe he wanted you to have a little moment with Jeff, thinking it was a generous thing to do. He did not explain his reasoning, he just pushed you forward another inch, "Don't be afraid."

Metal clattering sharply to the stone floor of the patio, a shocked gasp, _"STO-ACK!"_ Wheezing, a quiet scream that quickly became incoherent gargling. Wet slaps, the white noise of a cracking fire, the victorious laughter, it didn't make you feel very safe.

"You'll be okay." 

More movement of the shadows, they weren't dead just yet. They were whimpering, crying. The laughter died down for the most part but every word was spoken with a croaking cackle, _"You look like shit right now."_

You didn't know that voice but you _knew_ it was him. One of your first thoughts going to how much more masculine he sounded. Did he get testosterone? If so, how?

_"No one wants to fuckin' die like that. Here, lemme give you a hand."_ Was he really that? A monster. The evidence now physical, not just testimonies of a bunch of nut jobs, you saw _real_ dead bodies. You knew they were by his hand but a part of you was still trying to deny it. He sounded like he was enjoying himself, every word was like the funniest in-joke in the world to him. 

You couldn't run but you had to try to speak. Coming out as a weak whisper, "Please no." 

"This is gonna hurt." Mortified gargles, heavy footsteps, pleading for mercy that would not be given.

"He's missed you," Liu quietly informed, further pushing you forward, "He won't hurt you."

The pathetic whimpers grew in panic, shadows trashing about, "Sit still or I'll fuck it up." Squelching, you could just hear the wetness in the sound, the blood hitting the floor, the meat being cut.

You dug your heels into the ground, not this. You'd rather do anything but this. The earlier thoughts of 'what if' faded away in your panic. Self preservation running high but not high enough to make you run.

"See pal? Don't you look fucking handsome smiling ear to ear." Wheezily raspy, sounding almost like Daffy Duck but with a deeper voice and evil as fuck. Laughing as something unseen dipped and splattered on the ground.

"Go now." Liu urged, excitement underlying in his tone. How could he be happy about this? How could he want to help someone like this?

The biggest question in your head was when you did see him; would your fear and resentment wash away at the sight of your old beloved friend?

You honestly couldn't tell how you were going to react. Your mind a muddled mess. 

"Ah shit, don't think you're with me anymore huh?" Sarcastic shame, calling the poor person pitiful without needing to say it, "Well fuck." He grunted, clothing audibly shifting, loud footsteps following. You could just barely see his outline, Liu pushing you forward, no longer at the side of the house, nothing blocking your view of his back, standing in front of the fire pit. Flames growing weaker, you could hardly make out much more than his general outline. Except for the body hanging off his shoulder. The upper part of their head hanging weakly from the hinges of their jaw. Mouth forced open wider than humanly possible, tongue lolling about and bloody teeth exposed. The gruesome jagged cut sloped upwards, wider and sicker than the Cheshire cat's trademark grin. "Anyways-"

The body was thrown forward, flying off his shoulder. Midsection slammed right into the weak flames. The light darkening sharply for a few moments before the fire built itself back up with the new source of fuel. You made the mistake of gasping in shock and terror. But he didn't turn your way, maybe he didn't hear you? You just stood there, watching the man's back as the fire crawled up the bloodied shirt of the stranger. Clambering down their pants that were splayed over the rim of the pit. Coming up to their face, looking to eat away at the flesh of their gruesome grin. Further desecrate them when they'd already been done so dirty.

The newfound fuel aiding the fire to grow and burn brighter allowed you to make out more and more of his back. One thing you could tell without the fire was that he was much taller, not towering like Liu was, but much bigger than five foot one. Not thin as a stick anymore, now he looked a lot stockier. Filling out the hoodie that he wore much better than before, no longer loosely hanging off his frame. With the light came more defined colors, edges of his body framed in orange. Baggy dark jeans, you'd expect no less from the boy who wouldn't know fashion even if it clocked him upside the head. Hoodie possibly white, only a few parts the deeply off-white fabric shining through stains. Some a faded light brown others deep and red, recent. Stitched up in purple thread in a few areas, a ratty mess held together by delicate work that you never thought him capable of. 

You kept on thinking to how he used to be, of the boy you'd known. Drawing lines between the two completely different people. Seeing him now, watching a person he'd just murdered for shits and giggles burn, you started to realize how bad he truly was. Shockingly disgusted, rotten, vile, rancid, and twisted. A body you did not recognize that was supposedly a friend of yours at one point. 

With age his hair had grown darker, long, thin and straight just like his mother's. Instead of thoroughly shampooed and conditioned like hers, greasy clumps of hair hung down to his lower back. He clutched a knife in his right hand, metal and blood reflecting the dancing flames. The skin of his hands distorted and off color, melted and then hardened back in all the wrong places. A thick layer of sweat shining on his skin, looking like a melting wax figure.

When he moved you flinched back, but he still didn't turn to you. Instead bending down and grabbing an open beer bottle that lay forgotten on the arm rest of one of the chairs. Standing back up, holding up the bottle while he spoke in that harshly grating voice of his, _"It's a lot more fun for me if you run, you know?"_ Addressing you indirectly, he knew you were there, sounding sickly happy to have you around, but not in the way Liu made it out to be. "But if you want to try, go right on ahead. When I catch you I'll rip your spine out, shove it up your ass, and then piss on your body." The lowly chuckle rattling you to the core, you wanted to run but you were rooted in place. "I'll give you a head start or a free hit or whatever, I just really need a drink right now." He observed the bottle, bringing it closer, your time running out, _"Light beer?_ God, that's some pussy shit." Despite his supposed distaste for it, he still brought it to his face and chugged away.

He was done almost as fast as he began, sighing lowly before discarding the bottle to the side. Not looking where it went and not giving a shit when it shattered against the stone.

"You didn't do anything," Shoulders bouncing with his wheezy cackles, "Man, that's fucking pathetic. Ah whatever," He started to turn, face coming more and more into view, "More kills for Jeffy boy."

Snapping around, hair whipping behind him and front finally facing you. 

_Oh God._

If his hands reminded you of melted and then hardened wax, his face was _so_ much worse. Human but uncanny. No longer the pale and blemishless complexion he had all those years ago. Some spots tinged pink, others with an undertone of sickly orange, flesh ruggedly misplaced. Some areas seemed to have thicker layers of skin than others. No longer having a button nose, just two long slits of exposed nostrils. Barely a bump on his face anymore, melted as flat at the busted bridge of his nose would allow. His lips no longer had any definition, melted flat to his skin, just twisted spots of flaky pink. They were wide and deep, the corners of his mouth opening in an unnatural expansion. The flesh of his cheeks gone for the first few inches, huge slits of skin missing on either sides of his mouth. Growing less deep but not less jaggedly gruesome as they spread in a upward curve across his cheeks. He was smiling widely, the gouges stretching, you were able to see his yellowed teeth and dull gums.

Your mouth hung open as the two of you stared one another down. Horribly stretched smile starting to falter in hazy confusion. Gears turning in his muddied brain slower than yours. Flesh around his eye sockets indented, deeper than before. Eyes so much bigger, you could see the curve of them going into the flayed flesh. He didn't blink, did he even have eyelids? One of his irises milky and pale. The other was the bright baby blue from your childhood, forced wide open and bloodshot. No thin and uneven eyebrows to be seen, just the much sharper edge of his forehead. Jaw line stronger than before. The upper right part of his head showed off a large circular bald spot, spotty and unnatural skin from his face reaching the expanse. 

He looked kind of like Micheal Jackson if he was a victim of third degree burns almost all over his body. Frankly he looked like shit. The later stages of puberty had not done him well. You found out the mystery of the alleged self harm that investigators guessed at, it was his fucking cheeks. He cut his own face open. Somehow the damage not healing like Liu's had. The burns looked hardly healed over too, skin set in place but looking uncomfortably irritated. They looked fresh. Almost like he'd gotten them a few days ago. But you both knew they were a decade old at this point.

Back in the day he always talked about them, how ' _fucking metal'_ they were, he'd always wanted a pair of gauges but his parents had been unwilling. The top halves of his ears were melded to the sides of his head but his lobes hung free. Somehow undamaged enough to house dime sized solid black gauges. You wondered where he got them, how he stretched his ears. Did he do it himself or did the figure that chased the screaming person into the woods help him with them? Who was that? Did he have a partner now? A new best friend? The thought made you feel strangely shitty and a hollow happiness for him for having a friend when he had so many enemies. 

You were afraid to blink, to breathe, you weren't even sure if your heart was beating anymore. Everything except the flickering fire seemed to pause. Face to face and five feet apart from Jeff. Ten years since the last time you saw one another in person. 

He didn't close the distance between you, not jamming his blade between your ribs. Thick tension in the air but not as pungent as the smell of singing skin. Burnt plastic with a hint of salt, like bad meat burning on a grill.

His natural mouth was open in shock, cuts still making it look like he was grinning wildly at you. You searched his eyes for a shred of humanity, the lovingly warm spark that he used to look at you at with way back when. 

Is this what Liu wanted? For you to stare into one another's eyes with confusion and fear? You hoped that's all he expected from you, there was no way you could simply talk the basket case into morality. He just partially decapitated somebody and tossed their body in a fire. No amount of bonding or pleasant catching up would change who he was now. A part of you really wished it would, but you weren't delusional, the gut churning scent reminding you of that.

A part of you wanted to try. You were here already, at least you should try. Though you were admittedly in shock, definitely not thinking straight. Your tongue felt like sandpaper in your mouth, the single syllable poisonously bitter in your mouth, _"Jeff?"_

Finally reunited with your old bestie, Jeffery Woods, ten years later after saying that you'd see each other soon. Thinking of getting licenses and going to the same college, it all seemed so frivolous now. Everything had changed. He'd changed. You'd changed.

Hearing you croak out his name was the straw that broke the camel's back. Confusion snapping to clarity, recognition. Straightening up, brow bones raising and hand loosening it's grip on the bloody blade. Clattering noisily to the stone floor. A different voice from the one so familiar to you, calling out your name, the little boy he once was reaching out in the form cracking disbelief.

_"(Y/n)?"_


	11. 10 - Et Tu, Brute?

_The first week of school sucked ass. Coming into the eighth grade without Jeff or Liu, two of your best friends, was horrible. People already thought you were odd before with your stimming but now there was no threats of ass kicking from the boys to stop anybody from saying shit to your face._

_All you wanted was to text Jeff. Make sure that Jeff was okay. Just about two weeks ago, you watched him climb into that car and ride into the horizon. It felt like the longest two weeks of your life, so much more than summer ending and school starting was going on._

_Liu sent you a message a good or so week back, 'Hey, not gonna b able to txt for awhile I-' You supposed Matt or Sheila tried to wrangle the device from his hands at that point. Pressing send before he could finish._

_They just made you worry more and more. Without Liu to text you only had Jeff's accounts of things. It wasn't like you thought he was a liar, you just could hardly believe what happened. Firstly, why the fuck did a hospital send him home so early? Wasn't that a health risk? You hoped his parents paid for an at home nurse or something. Jeff didn't tell you. He only told you the barest of details, whenever he did text you which was way less than before._

_'Start school next week I wanna die lmao' At first it was normal but as days passed it got worse, 'God neighbors suk tryin not to beat the shit outta em every tiem i see them'. Trying to follow the lecture you gave him about trying to more diplomatic, while you told him about angrily staring down a kid who made a rude comment about you. It wasn't much but it was big progress he was proud of you._

_'I keep seeing **him** around.' _

_'I really fucking hate these assholes i hhate it her e'_

_'there was a fight they sent liu away, going to fucking kill that kid'_

_He hardly elaborated, but you knew that the move was stressful. Anger easy to let fester and boil over the surface. He was just venting out revenge fantasies. You tried and you tried and you tried to get him to text you more but he texted more sporadically as days passed._

_'hey sry im ujt the hosppitlaal'_

_After a few days of radio silence on his end, you texting him about happenings at school, asking him about his day, wishing him well with Liu gone. He didn't reply for days on end. Understandably, you were very concerned. But he didn't really text back much, giving you a one word reply when you asked what happened. Responding five hours after you asked, 'burnt'._

_Freaking out, worried as fuck for health, you were so relieved to get a text from him earlier that morning._

_'im home glad to be back ttyl lol :)_ '

_'Holy shit!!!!!!! I'm so glad that ur ok! Please res t up!!! missed u man'_

_The message was read a few minutes later, three dots appearing and then disappearing. You supposed it probably wasn't very easy to text when he was hurt. You held back on texting him all day, trying to not constantly blow up his phone him when he was recovering. Though you did keep the text window up all day, watching it like a hawk._

_It was eleven eleven when you saw three dots appear, watching the cycling animation for five minutes before the chat bubble disappeared._

_You never got a text back._

**\----**

Ten years apart, no time to reconnect like the present. "(Y/n) I-"

The horror of seeing a human is such a state of disarray, the shock of seeing Jeff like this, bodied, scarred, alive. Liu's delusional ideas fell away form your fuzzy mind. It was just you and him. Frozen, scared, relieved.

Jeff always was shit with his words. The kiss on the cheek that morning spoke volumes of how much he cared for you, so much louder than anything he'd ever said. Claiming to hate ' _that mushy shit'._ Knowing him, you should have expected it and braced yourself. In your shocked state, you didn't. Every slowly cautious step toward you had you on the verge of passing the fuck out. Details only becoming sharper with the closing distance. Working eye flickering all over your body, seeing you all grown up. Surging forth terrifying quick, coming to make sure that you were real. 

Chests harshly colliding, arms swinging around either one of your sides. Hands clutching your back desperately, a head on your shoulder. Greasy hair brushing past the crusty skin of your face. Warm wetness soaking into your front, your sides, your back. A bone crushingly tight hug.

He smelled awful. It was horrible mix of dirty pennies, cheap beer, piss, fresh smoked Marlboros, burnt plastic, and depression. You could practically smell the atrocities and excessive drug use wafting off his form as he held you tight. Mouth only hanging further open, stiffening and not knowing what the hell to say. You knew how much he'd grown through sight, but now with him holding you, it really started to sink in. He had grown up. No longer an angry little boy but now a homicidal man.

You'd entertained the idea of what you'd say to him over the years. Yelling, screaming, lecturing, chiding, crying, reassuring, every type of emotional reaction reenacted while having a one sided conversation in your shower. Finally having the chance to give him a piece of your mind, all your well constructed and cutting points crumbled away. That didn't mean that he was the same though, he had a lot of things to say.

A grumble, deep and scratchy, flipping to sorrowful after being so disgustingly sadistic, _"I'm so fucking sorry."_

Remorse. Feeling it after being so terrible, a distinctly human emotion. He wasn't a monster, he was just a really fucked up looking adult. Feeling bad about what he'd done to you, maybe feeling bad about the brutal murder. Yeah, he could get better. He could go back to the way things used to be. He almost never said sorry and here he was saying it right out the gate. The blood on his hands further soaking into your back, touch warm for all the wrong reasons.

Sounding so much more sobered than before, he babbled into your shoulder, _"I fucked up."_ The thirteen year old you used to know spoke through the mouth piece of the twisted man, _"Why are you here? Why are you real? You shouldn't be around me. I'm a fucking loser, fuck up, probably fucking brain dead, ugly ass, dumb, stupid."_ Words slowing and breaking down, yet you felt no tears on your shoulder. With his eyes like that, could he even cry anymore? 

All that negative self talk you remembered from back in the day being dumped on you now. The boy normally owned how he fit outside the norm, hating the idea of conforming. Starting to talk about himself like he was hot shit. Sometimes though, that facade crumbled. Talking late at night over text about how much he hated his body, himself, how fucking shitty he was, how his parents melded him into what he was. _This_ was the Jeff from those few nights where he was completely honest about how he felt about himself. Even rarer were the times that he let you call him, babbling over the phone, crying. Hating the idea of being vulnerable but trusting and loving you enough to tell you ugly truths. 

You expected him to keep on going ape shit but instead he was that vulnerable little boy again, scared of growing up, scared of your judgement. You always used to reassure him that you could never hate him. Could you still?

Stiffly, robotically, instinct from all those years ago surging through your body, you lifted your arms up. Leaning further into him, head on his shoulder, arms snaking around his back and comfortably holding him.

This wasn't the same person as the killer before. He'd instantly changed his tune when he saw you. Jeff could get better, go back to that boy he used to be. Right? Vulnerably exposing himself to you after all this time, still human. Worthy of redemption. He could be helped, saved. You could get closure, nice and neat.

The murder, the blood, the horrible smells assaulting your nose, all that fucked up shit fell away as the lovingly warm hug continued. It was just you and Jeff. It was nice. 

Rubbing small circles on his back, comforting him like you used to, "It's okay." Was it the adult you or that scatter brained thirteen year old who opened her mouth? You couldn't stop the flow of soft thoughts regardless of who it was, "I'm glad you're alive." A cracking uneven wail came from him, he always did whine and whimper when he cried. No tears came but you kept on going, comforting, trying to coax him to keep going, let it all out. "I missed you."

_Click, clack, click, clack._

 _"Why?"_ You fiddled with a strand of his hair between your fingers, it was so long now. 

_"Because you're my best friend."_ It was going to be okay. 

Jeff stiffened, hands on your back curling into fists that held your clothing in tight wads. A pained grunt, jerky movement, a wet sound that you could not place. You blinked, looking down Jeff's back to find a knife embedded in it. A gloved hand clutching the handle, further sinking the blade into him.

"Long time no see you piece of shit." Jane. Your kidnapper, the supposed lesser evil. Reality was coming back to you hard and fast, "Does it hurt?" You watched her twist the knife in his back, the horrible squelching mixed with an animalistic growl causing you to gasp. He was starting to not sound like that boy anymore. Yet he still held firmly onto you while your hold started to falter. Smelling the body in the fire, the blood on his clothes. 

"You know that," Maybe Jeff thought he was protecting you from the woman, still holding you while she tore the knife from his back and jammed it between his ribs, "Little (Y/n) here is with me, right?" Your hands fell off of him as you started at him, lifting your head from his shoulder. Skin crawling at the knowledge that you touched something to vile, someone so familiar. You didn't know how to feel honestly. Just being forced along for the ride, arms at your side and frozen. Jane twisted the knife in his back once more, his body shuddering with the agony as she darkly chuckled, "She doesn't love you anymore."

Was that true?

Jane was trying to hurt him in more ways than one. Physically, emotionally, she hated everything about him so she disregarded the plan and went in for the kill anyway. You didn't understand why he had to get fired to die, but anyone with knife wounds in their back so deep and horrible probably weren't destined to live long. Why were you even here? Were they just playing along with Liu's whole firing thing?

You couldn't just stand there and let her put words in your mouth. Jeff may have been a bad person, but you'd rather tell him that yourself as much as it'd hurt to say it to his face. Attempting to firmly address her, you spoke with a horribly weak voice, "Jane, sto-"

Jeff's hands were off of your back the instant you let her name slip past your tongue. You stumbled back a step before harshly falling onto your ass with a pained grunt. Holding yourself up on the palms of your hands, looking up to his distorted features. Not giving a single shit about the woman who pulled the knife out of his back only to jam it back in, sadistically shouting, "That feel good?"

Body jerking with the force but still standing despite it all. There was shock in his eyes but most of all, there was a strongly hateful note of bitterness. Breaths loud gasps, bulging eyes starting down at you, frowning as much as he could. Forehead shifting, down turned bald spots where his eyebrows should have been. Hands frozen in place from where he last touched you, shoving you away by the chest. Finger tips twitching inward into fists. The knife in has back was one thing, but you knowing the name of the one who was stabbing him was another. A clear connection between the two of you, working against him. Not on his side like he had hoped, but on hers. You didn't think you'd ever seen someone look so fucking betrayed and so hateful at the same time.

It wasn't like he was just going to say nothing when his plans had been thrown so violently out the window, Liu screamed, "Jane! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Jeff didn't even look in his brother's direction, hardly caring about being actively stabbed, completely focused on you. Quietly processing, an air of intensity radiating off him like the rancid odor he emitted. 

"Stabbing him." The woman exclaimed with a note of joyful sarcasm, "Look at him just standing there!" She began to mock and make fun of him, "Do you think he's heart broken? _I_ think he is." You could just hear the smile in her voice.

"This wasn't part of the plan." You couldn't look to Liu but the hate was thick, dripping off every word. Despite loving his brother so very much, he didn't intervene like you would have thought. Something was going on but you couldn't focus on the man, all you could focus on was Jeff, glaring down at you like an animal about to pounce.

"The plan," She grunted in effort, ripping the knife from his flesh only to bury in deep in his back, "Was to get him killed. I'm pretty fucking sure he's killable right now. I mean, look how fucking _pathetic_ he is!" She cruelly cackled, his body continuing to jerk but he didn't move to stop her.

Jeff killed a man and laughed about it, but he also held you tight. He was there for you for thirteen years. There was still some good in him, wasn't there? Shaking on the ground, blood that he spilled soaking into your clothes. Feeling sullied by his touch, scorned by Jane's words. You hadn't even noticed when you started crying. How long had it been? You didn't know, all you could do was watch and weakly mumble, "Get- Get off of hi-him." 

Only drawing his melted lips back and bearing his clenched yellow teeth, anger. "The _love of his life_ betrayed him, _oh the agony!_ Pretty sure that he's d-" 

Jeff had heard enough. At the end of his tether and letting anger fester. Whipping around with a knife still in his back, fist flying into her throat, shutting her the fuck up.

The woman gagged and coughed at the impact, forced to let go of the knife, being sent stumbling a few feet. But she didn't fall on her ass like you did. Too full of sheer rage to fall, standing on two feet and doing her best to quickly recover.

"The love of my life, huh?" The laughing returned, sick and sadistic. This time with a gargling undertone of rancor, of blood filling his lungs from the stab wounds. You stared at his back, you could make out a few of the slits in his hoodie, dark red further soaking the fabric. You could only guess how many times he was wounded. Perhaps twenty-three, the same amount of another man betrayed, Julius Caesar. Asking if his best friend would hurt him too, which he did. Which you did. 

Jeff snapped his head back to you, meeting your eyes with a forced smile. Growling words between gritted teeth, "The plan? _Really?"_ He took a step forward with his filthy boots, arm reaching around to grab the knife from his back. Laughing, utter disbelief, grabbing for the knife while his scarred smile shifting disgustingly with his words, _"You were gonna try to kill me too, (Y/n)?"_ Confusion underlying the hate, a flip of a switch, a bomb about to be set off on you. 

"No!" You didn't know what you wanted, just arguing back on gut instinct. Were you trying to comfort him and make yourself look better? Or were you saying no to the fact that he was coming closer, obviously looking to fucking gut you? 

_Click, clack, click, clack._

Jeff whipped around once more as Jane ran at him, "God, you are so fucking," He delivered a harsh kick in the dead center of her stomach, "Annoying!" The woman grunted, feet off the ground and flying back. Groaning when her body was slammed into the bloodied stone, a hand coming to clutch her stomach. Already shakily trying to get up, fiercely determined. Not knowing when to quit. 

Attention turned back to you, he ripped the knife from his back. Brandishing it and moving like he wasn't just stabbed multiple times. Adrenaline rushing, he probably couldn't feel a thing.

"I should'a fucking known!" Gasping in an inhale between cackles, "It really was," The world seemed to shake beneath his boots, so tall and imposing while you were sitting still on your ass, looking up at him in shock, "Too good to be true. I thought all this time that you never showed your face on the fucking news because you _cared_ about me." 

So he knew about the reports. Scouring for words from you, accounts on a shitty news website of you shedding crocodile tears. Seeing it as an act of service from friend to another even after all he'd done. For you it was just too much to handle, you tried not to think about him as much as you could. But you were always reminded of him in some way or another. You just didn't want to recount your entire childhood to some shithead to make money off of. Maybe subconsciously it was for him, not further dirtying his name because you still cared a whole fucking lot.

_"I DO!"_ You argued weakly, he looked at you with disgust. Him, a homicidal disfigured maniac to you, a supposed backstabber. Were you even one truly? You didn't want to be here in the first place. Morals in disarray at the thought of killing him. For a few moments in time you were able to forgot all that he'd done. Accept him. He probably deserved to die over and over again, skin further burning in the pits of hell. But you didn't know what you wanted, you didn't know how to feel about him in the first place.

"Then why are you with _that fucking bitch_ , huh?!" Jerking his head back, referring to Jane as she began to shakily stand. Probably doing her best not to vomit. 

"She forced me to be here!" You shot back, voice cracking as you scrambled a few inches back. Trying to fully break through the barrier of mental bullshit in order to make a run for it.

"So you did't want to see me? Didn't you say that you're my _best friend?"_ He shook his head, smiling cruelly. A wounded animal going to lash out, another step forward, gaze piercing through you, dread and fear tearing you up from the inside out.

You wanted to live, that much was clear through your confusion. You had to abandon the man you'd just called the coveted label of best friend in a moment of childish regression. Even after all he'd done for you, after what Liu had done for you, you were still a human. When faced with something that threatened their well being, humans usually wanted to run or fight. You never were much of a fighter. That was Jeff.

It was opportunistic but you really wanted to fucking live. "I'm here with Liu!" You blabbered. The man said that if Jeff saw you and him, then maybe he'd make enough progress to be freed. If he saw Liu now maybe he'd calm down. Only glancing to the man a moment to see his mouth stupidly agape. Looking surprised and twice as confused. "We want to help you." Smile wavering, unsure if you really wanted to help him. It was kind of a lot to smell a burning body, be around two people you thought you were dead, hearing distant screams of bloody murder from the woods. 

" _Y_ _ou,"_ The man turned his head, eyes flickering to Liu who'd hardly said or done anything as shit hit the fan, looking towards you with a hollow gaze, slack jawed, "How many times do I have to tell you to _fuck off?"_ Liu didn't respond, just staring ahead. _"I don't want your fucking pity."_ Done with his brother, apparently Liu had attempted helping him enough times for Jeff to sound unsurprised and irritated about the whole ordeal. You were the shocking part, the thing that really set him off. "And _you,"_ His eyes back on you once more, another step forward, almost at your feet, "I should have known that somebody as good as you wouldn't come back for _me_."

"But I did." You argued, being forced to come, shoved into the light. 

He snorted obnoxiously, towering above you while you stared up in familiar horror, " _I should have killed you a long time ago._ " Even though he was a horribly terrifying man, disfigured, murderous, horrible; someone so dear to you telling you in complete seriousness that they wanted to kill you, was gut wrenching. He didn't let up, "Had a lotta fucking chances over the years but I wasn't thinking clearly. If you can't tell," He laughed, free hand prodding into the side of his head over and over, "I ain't fucking _right_ in the head." The only thing that saved you was the fact that his brain was fried apparently. 

Adjusting his grip on the knife, staring down at you with a hateful grin, "It was probably going to come to this anyways. I just hate-" He stopped himself, shaking his head smile growing disgustingly wider. Leaving things unsaid once again. "Ya'know what? Enough with that mushy shit. _I_ _'m gonna go ahead and fucking kill you now."_

You scrambled back on your hands, pushing back with your feet. A goofy looking crab walk for your life, because you couldn't seem to get up. Jeff just laughed at you, stepping forward and swinging the knife back.

_Click, clack, click, clack._

Jeff stiffened as you further crawled away from him. Hand slipping and sliding on coagulating blood, loosing your balance and falling on your ass. Frozen again and watching with wide eyes as Jeff spun around wildly swinging the blade, gutturally screeching, _"BITCH!"_

The hit didn't land, just barley missing the woman by a hairs length. Still, it was impressive an impressive dodge for someone in heels who just got a little bit fucked up. Earlier, he didn't seem to give a shit about her stabbing him over and over but now he seemed to care a whole lot. Once he started swinging, he didn't stop. Wild and uncalculated arcs in her general direction, angry as hell and taking it out on the woman who had the audacity to jam her fingers into one of the fresh wounds. Processing all the shit she'd done to him, the stabbing, using you against him, bragging about it. Pent up rage and resentment having him try to slash her stomach and see her guts spill on the patio.

Though Jane was definitely going to have some bruising in the morning, she was in much better shape than Jeff was. Not a single stab wound in her back, wielding the knife that he'd dropped. Cackling cockily at him, as she ducked under a swipe aimed to slit her throat. Taking the opportunity to jam her knife into his lower abdomen.

 _"FUCKING WHORE!"_ He sounded like a feral animal, spiking the knife down toward her back, but she completely threw herself out of the way. Colliding harshly onto the bloodied stone, scraping and dirtying her dress, but at least she didn't have a hole in her back. Jeff on the other hand was a lot less fortunate, not stopping in time. Stabbing himself right in the thigh, body shuddering on impact. _"FUCK!"_

 _"Jane."_ The woman said something mocking but your attention was drawn to the cold growl from behind you. Liu was finally moving again, reaching for his holster while steeping around the curve of the house. Lips curled back in a teeth bearing snarl, cheeks twitching in strained effort, hands shaking, voice deeply hateful. Yanking the pistol from it's holster, safety audibly being flicked off, _"I'm gonna fuckin' kill your bitch ass."_ It wasn't like the threat directed at Natalie or the cold annoyance in the car.

You realized as she taunted Jeff, watching as he yanked the knife from his leg, that she didn't hear a word Liu had said. Jeff still standing, fueled by rage and laughing hysterically. Stabbed in the back, looking to violently destroy the woman who seemed to set this up, you wouldn't doubt that you were next. 

"God," Liu mused, raising his arm and locking his elbow in place, stiffly aiming, "Can not fuckin' wait to see you dead." Commenting lazily to the woman who couldn't hear him. Pointing a gun at the person who just saved you from getting chopped to bits. 

You forced the words from your throat, returning the favor with chunky wording, "JANE! LIU! GUN!" 

As she threw a plastic chair at her assaulter, her white mask snapped over to you and Liu. Next to one another but not feeling like you were on the 'same side' anymore. His finger found the trigger. She didn't freeze up like you had, instead she threw herself to the ground while Jeff stumbled back.

**_B A N G !_**

You filched harshly, yelping at the piercing sound. The sudden flash of white didn't last long but that mixed with the soft yet steady ringing in your ears, the flickering of the fire, the pungent scent of burning flesh, Jeff's shouting, it was so much. But you couldn't look away. Watching Jane scramble to her feet and throw herself away from swing after swing, on the defensive. 

Instead of firing another shot at the woman he hated so much, Liu snapped his head in your direction. Looking down his nose at you, disgusted at the lowly insignificant fuck who just stopped him from putting a bullet in Jane's body. Swinging the gun away from the fighting pair, pointing it toward your forehead _. "Useless."_

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_.

A blur of green fell from above. 

**_THUD!_**

Slamming itself onto Liu's body, the man grunted as he crumpled beneath the weight of an entire person. Instead of getting a bullet between the eyes, another person came to your rescue. Able to move, able to fight. 

He was winded, only able to growl out half formed syllables, laying down with limbs thrown every which way. Natalie sitting on his back grinning like a fucking lunatic. Not getting to rough anybody up for a short period, visibly loving causing another human, especially Liu, bodily harm. Putting him in his place under her. All you could wonder was where she came from. A window? The roof? 

Though he may not have been able to throw together uncharacteristically crude insults at the woman, he still had his gun. Lifting his aim and blindly pointing it toward her general mass.

**_B A N G !_**

Recoiling, shutting your eyes and cringing. Not seeing the result of the shot, trying to gather yourself in such a dire situation. You needed to focus and run. Get up and go, they were distracted, you could make it. If everything would just stop being so goddamn overwhelming you would. 

Just open your eyes, look where you're going and go. Yeah, that'd work just fine. 

Natalie had twisted the mans arm viciously behind his back. Gun on the ground next to them. Lips curled in a smile that looked more like a snarl, full of sadistic hate. Throwing his aim off with violence, which she seemed to think was the only answer. 

God, these people were fucking horrifying. 

With shuddering breathes and quivering limbs, you did your best to stand. The most you could do was rise awkwardly, knees shaking too bad to straighten fully out, hunched in on yourself. Eyes on the ground, light shifting horribly while muddied shouts rattled in your brain, undecipherable with all that was going on. Just ground yourself and go. Take a deep breath, in through your nose, out through your mouth at the count of three. 

One.

It'll be fine.

Two.

Think about home.

Three.

Forget about them.

Hot sickly smelling air entered sharply though your nose. Waiting a few agonizing moments before you emptied the air from your lungs.   
Weak relief, somewhat collected. Staring at your feet, you started to shift to turn and run off. Then something yellow bounced and rolled into view. Grayish red softness slapping onto the top of your shoe before laying beside it. You couldn't help but stare at the thing, wet and reflecting the shifting flames. Angled and shapely yellow leading to the fleshier looking red. A tooth that had a chunk of bloodied gums clinging to it. 

You felt your stomach churn, audibly gagging. Looking up from the ground, wanting to just ignore everything happening around you. You turned, clambering slowly away from the four monsters. Emotions numbed, nothing remained in your brain but self preservation.

You didn't get two feet without some other trouble rearing it's ugly head. 

She came with the shifting of low hanging branches, moving them out of the way while she stepped forward. Coming into the yellow light that emitted from the window. For a second you were confused. What the fuck was a scene kid doing here? Did she escape that manically cackling figure?

Your gaze was drawn immediately to her wrists, forearms donning chunky colorful bracelets. A mismatched eye bleeding rainbow that lead to distorted hands. Duel wielding bloody knives. Then you noticed the uncharacteristic dark red splatters on her bracelets, on her loose fitting purple sweater that was falling off of gnarled shoulders. _She_ was the one laughing.

Coming forward, black pleated skirt shifting around her thighs. Wearing above the knee socks, looking like an edgy teen or a child playing dress-up.

Her voice was shrill, you couldn't not just pay attention to the annoying sound her words, "Baby cakes!" She sang out every word, you hated the fact that the one thing you understood in your muddied brain was that. Your attention drawn to her face as she kept on moving forth, ditzily not noticing that chaos behind you or not giving a shit, "I soooo just ki _\- Oh!"_

Your eyes met and she stopped her in tracks, artificially blue eyes observing you just as you were observing her. An eye catching red bow peaking above her head, shittily dyed black hair tied up in a tight pony tail. Brown roots shining through, one side of her bangs dyed dark pink. So much effort was put into her whole appearance, you'd be impressed if you weren't terrified of her.

You made the mistake of pausing to look at her. Precious time to escape slipping in between your fingers but you couldn't look away. Her mouth was just like his, edges jaggedly sliced open on her cheeks. The lower part of her face was her natural skin color of warm brown, though parts of it were unevenly melted and tinged red. Bottom lip flat, top lip unaffected with a prominent cupid's bow. The upper half of her face was mostly fine save for the area around the cut, which was an irritated red. Soft features, an attempt at eyeshadow in the form of a dark panda eye. Not as bad as Jeff, but just enough of a horrible reminder. 

Like so many others tonight, she could move faster than you. Blinking then baring her _way_ too white teeth, she exclaimed, "I know who _you_ are."

A shaky hand came up from your side, pointing to yourself, "Me?"

"Yes you _, whore."_ The woman you'd never met before growled hatefully at you, covered in blood and dressed eccentrically. "I like, stalked all of your social mediaaaa!" Insulting you all while sounding like a complete ditz. You were completely thrown for a loop, the night only descended into more and more chaos, "I like, also emailed you a bunch of times." She gestured toward you, waving her hand lazily, "Do you not remember or something?"

You'd gotten plenty of emails from all sorts of people over the years. Only a few people stuck out among the rest. The guy who tried to catfish you as Jeff but alive, which you didn't fall for. Jeff would never write the word 'thou'.

There was also the person who kept on finding your email no matter what you did. Blinking at her, taken aback by the admission, you asked in mild shock, "Xx-fuck-(Y/n)-death-please-xx at gmail dot com?"

She clicked her tongue, " _Actually_ it's xx-fuck-(Y/n)-die-plz-xx at gmail dot com." She sighed while the chaos raged behind you, survival instinct telling you to fucking move again already. Feet feeling like concrete blocks, you started to shakily lift one, step draining and long. Moving away seemed to set her murderous intent off, "Anyway! I'm gonna make good on my promise now and kill you! Heehee!" Fakely laughing, attempting to sound cute, but she really just sounded like she was actually going to shove her fist up your ass and use you like a meat puppet.

Suddenly bursting forth, ratty converse feeling like they were shaking the earth itself with every step. Which was surprising due to how scrawny she was, but then again, you were just a terrified deer in the headlights. What the fuck did you know? 

Closer and closer, smile growing, you made it through this much shit but _now_ you couldn't run. Perfectly capable legs unwilling to move. Dead at twenty-three, never graduating college and taking up a fulfilling career. Never going to Point Pleasant, West Virginia to enjoy the spooky yet kitchy cryptid goodness. Not getting to say a proper goodbye to the people you cared about. Just kidnapped, final days full of terrible realizations and break downs. Murdered by a girl who looked like a she was way too dedicated to the aesthetic while working at Hot Topic. This sucks.

The both of you knew that your time was up, her quickly blabbering in a laugh, _"Qué triste." `_ Feet away, lunging for you with knives raised and so happy at the idea of murdering you. Even with her feet off the ground, the grass below your sneakers still shook. Like it even mattered, you were dead anyways.

Her movement was stopped, harshly jerked to a stop. Swinging from her ponytail like a rag doll. A large hand holding the dyed locks, you just out of arms reach. Screeching, rage, disappointment, pain. Childishly kicking her feet and shaking her head. Trying to quickly readjust the blades in her hands to stab the hand that stopped her from chopping you to bits. She didn't get to take a stab at freeing herself, because in an instant she was flying through the air. A blur of mixed colors that was only stopped by being slammed into the trunk of a tree.

**_THUD!_**

It was sad. Once so sickly energetic and full of life, but now laying face down in the dirt. Back crushed into her body, red slowly starting to soak through the partially ripped purple cloth. She didn't move after that, not a peep coming from her. Suddenly dead. Life saved for the third time by a third different person.

One you should have known was coming because of his footsteps. Eyes slowly shifting to his massive frame, arm still outstretched from where he released her in the throw. How strong does someone have to be do that? You didn't care, you just didn't want to be next. 

Gasping with a sickly turning stomach, you took a single agonizingly slow step away from him. You knew that you were overwhelmed and emotional, that you couldn't do anything you wanted as easily as normal, but it was so fucking frustrating. If you could just run you'd be halfway down the driveway already. Blindly running through the dark all alone, not in miserably company.

You were not permitted to take another step. Jack turned to you straight faced after throwing an entire person into a tree. He really was a killer, huh? You felt your blood run cold when a massive hand reached around you. Clutching the back of your bloodied and torn bomber. Picking you up off the ground while you just hung limply from your clothing. Not knowing how the fuck to respond to that. Moved around even more, hanging with your view toward the floor. So high off the ground, tucked under his arm like a sports kid with a basketball. You'd think that with gray skin he'd be clammy and cold to the touch. Yet you found with the close proximity, he was like a living heater. 

Not hurting you, helping you move around, keeping you close so your shocked self couldn't be attacked without protection. Why were they helping you when everything went so wrong?

You just hung off his arm while he moved about. Turning and walking forward. You passed by Natalie, laughing and shaking her head. Playfully shaming the man who lay still. You didn't get a good look at what she did to him, but all your dulled thoughts could think was that he was dead. Just blinking at the news, tired and mind an absolute dumpster fire.

The bloodied stone came into your view as Jack stepped onto the patio. Groaning, you weakly lifted your head toward the shouting that grated so terribly on your ears. Hoping that with a subdued dirty look it'd stop. They were still at it.

Though this time Jeff looked even worse for wear. Stumbling back with two knives buried in his cheat. Laughter a gargling wheeze, head lulling side to side as he sized the shuddering woman up. A gloved hand slapped over her shoulder, trying to stop the blood, but it kept on oozing past her fingers. Out of breath, sweaty, clothes and hair disheveled. Already warped skin scraped raw and bruised. 

Jeff coughed and sputtered, "Ah _fuck,_ that hurts!" Still smiling, a hand slippery with his own blood coming to his chest. Shaking while weakly removing the metal from his gut. Somehow he was still moving while covered in dark red slits, sickening pink sticking out from the wound of where he'd just pulled the blade, manic as fuck. Stumbling side to side, trying to come forward to further attack Jane.

You locked eyes while he dazedly looked around, weakly laughing still. Maybe trying to comfort himself by pretending he was happy, maybe too far gone to tell how he really felt. Pity. The fact that someone could spiral so deeply, someone you knew, it made you sad to see him like this. A mental train wreck and a physical mess. Though it was hard to differentiate one feeling from another, there was a strong sense of knowing how you felt when he opened his elongated mouth.

"Hey there my best fuuuucking buddy." Slurring words out, maybe the light beer was hitting him harder than he thought. It could be the blood loss. He didn't mean it warmly anymore, you hurt him so fucking badly. "Look like ssh-shit don't I?" He gestured to his bloodied chest, torn fabric revealing open skin. 

Jack came closer and closer to him, Jeff ignoring the behemoth's presence. Tunnel visioned on you.

"This is aaallll _your fault."_ He brandished the knife again, the long tube of pink peaking more and more through his stomach. He blamed you for Jane stabbing him, thinking of it more like you stabbing him in the back. The friend he let live though the years, him fucked up while watching you from the outside. Missing you without you even knowing, still caring while you mourned him, resented him, missed him. Now he saw you as just another enemy. 

Jack put his free hand atop Jeff's scalp, holding him away from you at arms reach. Lifting the much shorter man off of the ground. Jeff hardly paid what must be a painful ordeal no mind. Obsessively looking at your face, hatefully enamored by you.

"What're you doing?" Jane grumbled, "I'm about to fucking kill him."

As Jack lifted the man higher, he dryly responded, "This went horribly. We need to reset and try again later."

"Hey (Y/n)." He smiled, insincere, looking like a pained grimace more than anything. You just gawked at him as he did his best to properly enunciate every syllable, "I'm gonna watch the light in your eyes _die_ when I kill and piss on everything you've ever loved."

"This is over." Jack commented dully, suddenly moving _so_ goddamn fast. Jeff was no longer limply hanging in front of you, he was a drunkenly laughing mass of red and misery that was flying though the air. 

**_THUD!_**

The world didn't shake when he harshly hit the tree. Thick trunk hardly even affected other than a mild tremor. Insignificant and pathetic, slapping wetly into the dirt. Eternally grinning face in the ground, still. Once manic, now at rest, almost peaceful if it wasn't for all the red. 

You watched him continue to not move, only bleeding. You found out Jeffery Woods was alive earlier that morning. Now he appeared to lay dead as a door nail. You weren't allowed to look any longer at the body that made you immensely sad. Jack sharply turning on his heel, like killing Jeff didn't matter at all.

"Next time, don't stab him on a gut feeling." Jack lectured, a sharp edge to his voice, annoyance.

"He's just so fucking stab-able." Jane retorted, laughing a moment before sighing. Careening her head to look at Jeff, "So he's still one of them?" Disappointment, frustration.

"Yes." He shortly replied, "Let's get back to the car." The massive man sighed, "Thanks to _somebody_ we have to reevaluate everything." Snidely jabbing at her as you lowered you head. Hanging limply from him, fate not your own. Cruel and unforgiving.

Their voices mixed and melted into one another as you were moved about. You couldn't figure out the space or people around you. All you could think about was Jeff as you felt your body grew heavier and heavier.

Jeff. Jeff. Jeff. Miserable. Hateful. Dead.


	12. 11 - Bark Bark, Bitch

_"Sometimes I wonder if hes still out there, ya'know?"_

_Noah picked up the remote, pausing the movie and looking to your scrunched form._

_"What?" He couldn't exactly hear you with the movie playing. Sometimes having a lot of trouble with processing what people were saying, needing subtitles on most of the time._

_There had to be only a few more minutes left of the movie. One of the final twists being that the morally corrupt main character didn't die. No longer being a shady rat and back stabbing people for a murkily 'just' cause. Sad that they could never see friends or family again, but knowing that this life was better for them. Living away from society in the mountains with their dog._

_"Jeff." You clarified, "I'm just thinking about him being alive. It just-" You sighed, fiddling with the strings of your hoodie, Noah had to wrangle the bomber off your back to throw it in the wash. Putting the remote down between the two of you, Noah brought a hand up and placed it upon your shoulder. A firm touch of comfort spurring you on to continue, "It just makes me really happy."_

_You quickly tacked on an explanation, not wanting to seem like an apologist basket case, "I know what he did was bad. After he went missing everyone didn't fucking leave me alone. It sucked a lot and it really did mess me up to find out what he did. Even then though, I always wanted what was best for him. I still do."_

_Noah didn't speak, giving you time to formulate your thoughts into words. He always was a good listener. Brows furrowed, frowning, you think he was sad. Though he couldn't relate with someone incredibly close to him dying or going missing, he still did his best to put himself in your shoes. Getting way too into it and soon enough he'd be crying on your behalf._

_"His parents were abusive assholes." You couldn't do anything about it even at the time, a powerless child in the face of two people who were way too wealthy. "But I do agree with some of the stuff I've read. He was a fucked up, scared little kid who was hurt and didn't know how to cope with it. Then it was just stressor after stressor, ya'know?" The move, the neighborhood bullies, Liu being sent away for a couple days, being burned alive._

_Your sudden admission faltered for a few moments as you looked to the paused screen. Smiling and petting their dog, years after the climax. Not twenty minutes before the character was losing their shit in the midst of a mental breakdown. Bashing a strangers head in with a concrete block when they showed up at the wrong place at the wrong time. So lost in their own head that they thought the stranger was someone out to get them. Lashing out in confusion and fear. You could see Jeff's youthful face in theirs, the desperation, the anger, the realization of what they'd done._

_It'd been a minute or so of you just staring at the character's face. Noah decided to break his silence, lightly patting your shoulder and speaking softly, "Hey it's alright." Broken away from your trance, you stared at him while trying to figure out how to continue. "Take your time."_

_And time you took. Two and a half minutes approximately. You hadn't vented about him in a good few months. Six or seven. Thinking that you were getting annoying, that no one wanted to hear about it. It wasn't like you thought about Jeff all the time. You had your own life and ten years to somewhat heal. You just got a little weird sometimes, thinking about him whenever someones face was eerily close to his or someone talked in the same crass cadence. Trying to forget about him by delving into video essays about cryptids or playing video games for nine hours straight. The thoughts just festered the longer you kept your mouth shut in self made shame. Jars bottled up far too long, finally allowing yourself to word vomit out sappily optimistic thoughts._

_"He look it out on the people who hurt him the most. I don't think he planned it. I think it just happened and he couldn't control himself. I know that he probably didn't intend on hurting Liu. I think it just kinda happened." Liu went missing too, disappearing into thin air after committing murder in a public place. "I hope Liu_ _'s out there too. I hope they're living together again." It'd be hard to forgive Jeff after what he did, but the brotherly bond they shared was unbreakable. The thought of them living together, okay with themselves, living their best case scenario was nice. Up in the mountains with a dog, not completely alright but not completely fucked up either._

_"As nice as it is though, I know that it's probably not true."_

**\----**

**_Ba-dumb!_**

Weightlessness was the first thing you noticed about your new found consciousness. The next thing you noticed was your ass slamming back down into the seat. Snapping your eyes open with a gasp. 

_What the fuck?_

You remembered every little detail. The things he said to you, the disbelief and betrayal in his eyes. Him violently lashing out after holding you so lovingly. The world's shittiest reunion ending with him dying, silent and broken in the dirt. You supposed it was for the best after what he'd become but you still couldn't help but feel distraught. An odd mix of nostalgia, melancholy and relief. At least he couldn't hurt anybody else physically. You knew that you'd be carrying the mental scars of the night before with you for a _long_ time. If you even had a long time left to live. Somehow still alive even after you'd been used for their sick purpose.

Jeff was dead, Liu didn't look too hot the last time you saw him. Your last defender going off the deep end and looking to splatter your brains in the grass. 

Though you were well aware of how overwhelmed you were, the shock of seeing all that wild shit going on rattled you so badly that you couldn't run. Unable to help but feel responsible for the way things played out. If you ran when it was just you and Liu, maybe you could have gotten away and Jeff wouldn't have died, you wouldn't have had to see that. It was deeply selfish to want to spare yourself trauma over potentially saving lives by aiding in his demise, but you couldn't help it. You were a human with a deep connection to him, relationship twistedly complex and unable to untangle the knots. Though you knew in the back of your mind, you probably wouldn't have gotten away. It was just wishful thinking. And though you may not have held the knife you sure felt like you were the one who stabbed him in the back, his eyes boring into you as the blade was twisted in his flesh.

He loved you. He hated you. He died.

**_Ba-dumb!_**

Flying up from your seat only to slam back into it once more, you were torn from your thoughts. Made wholly aware of the voices playing in the car around you. 

_"Oh my god."_ Frustration was evident in Jane's voice. You blinked, hands idly resting on your lap. No seat belt stretched across your body, sitting in the clean car that smelled of black licorice. Lifting your head, you instinctually put your fingers to one of the pins at random and rubbed at it's textured surface. The vehicle around you shaking and rumbling on the uneven path, littered with way too many potholes.

_"Let me go or I'll fucking eviscerate you."_ Liu growled, fabric audibly shifting from the back of the car.

Natalie snickered as you slowly realized you were in the front seat. "Not like _that_ you won't." Clearly enjoying how uncharacteristically angry he sounded.

Going to look behind you, hazily curious as to what was going on, you paused, eyes catching on the figure beside you. Jane was in the drivers seat, steering with one arm while the other hung at her side. A thick bandage hastily plastered to her shoulder, tinges of red had seeped through the white. The side of her dress was shredded, ground away to revel scraped layers of skin. Obvious purple welts on what little of her flesh you could see. That had to hurt a whole lot. However the clear bodily harm was not the most alarming thing about her appearance. It was the fact that she was _still_ wearing the mask. The black film over the eye holes probably made it a bit difficult to drive. Not to mention how the edges of her vision would be impaired. There was also the fact that wearing a mask all the time had to be incredibly uncomfortable. 

Why the hell was _she_ driving? Weren't there better candidates to do so? Well, Jack may have a hard time driving with only echolocation and Natalie had one eye. Liu seemed to be having an absolute meltdown in the back of the car. You couldn't be trusted to drive, so you supposed that left beat down and tired Jane as the only valid person to get all of you 'home'.

You respected her in an odd sense. Rising up and fighting the man who killed her family. Stabbing the ever loving shit out of him, using emotional ammunition to further hurt him, it had to be a deliciously satisfying revenge. Thing is, _you_ were that emotional ammunition. She hurt you too and probably didn't give a shit. She let him kill those people, all for her end goal. Her moral compass was severely out of whack and if she started preaching about justice and righteousness you were pretty sure you were going to get so mad you'd vomit. Resenting her deeply for making him look at you that way, bragging about it. 

You just couldn't completely put yourself in her shoes. Not able to fully comprehend her thought process. It didn't help that she was deeply volatile. You just wanted to get away from her.

Wait.

Your head snapped around to the door. Looking out the window at the trees passing you by. You weren't buckled in or tied up. It'd be risky and dangerous, but the car wasn't racing down the narrow road, she was a surprisingly safe driver. All you had to was open the door, jump out, curl up, try to protect your head and hope for the best. It'd be dangerous and road-rash was inevitable but you'd rather have some scraped skin over being murdered or continue to be around these people.

Reaching your hand out for the door handle, you tensed your muscles and braced yourself to be ready to jump out of a moving vehicle. 

**_Thunk._**

When you tugged on the handle, the door didn't pop open. Pulling again and again with all your might but nothing came of it. 

Jane sighed, not even looking at your struggling form, "You're not-" You kept on jimmying the handle, "Nope." Disapproval and exasperation. Yet you kept on trying desperately, "You are not going to get that door open."

Panicked, the thought of death making your skin crawl, you shouted, "Yes I am!"

The door stayed shut. Child locked. There was still the window.

"That's not going to work." Jack commented from the back of the van while you aggressively pushed the switch on the door. Able to see what you were up to without having his blind eyes on you. 

The comment may have been directed at Liu who had been grunting and growling almost the entire time. Having another outburst of angry yelling, "I'LL KILL ALL YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!" Sounding like he was in a feral frenzy.

Natalie just laughed at him while Jack flatly replied, "So you're going to kill me while you're _like that_ or?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! BITCH!" Liu roared while you kept on trying to escape.

"What's she doin'?" Natalie cackled, the back of your seat shifting, warm breath brushing the side of your face. You glanced to the side to see her peaking around your chair, watching you struggle with a smile _. "Salut."_ Lazily waving at you. Intaking a hissing breath, you recoiled away from the woman while pressing the switch and trying to wrestle the door open. "Shit, you really wanna get outta here, huh?"

"She's been going like this for a solid minute and has not stopped." Jane commented like you weren't right there, "At this point I'm just waiting for her to realize that the door's child locked." Instead of screaming insults at you, she just underhandedly called you stupid. She sounded tired, defeated. Wanting to degrade you but not wanting to put too much effort in. 

You ceased your struggle, turning your body weakly towards her while Natalie marveled, "Wow! Only took like, forever." 

Jane was no longer driving with her hand. Instead she pressed her knee to the bottom of the steering wheel to keep the car steady down the straight road. You could see the controls to the door locks on the drivers side door. Your only shot was to go for the door and risk getting grabbed or grab the steering wheel and crash the car. Both options had a lot of potentially fatal cons. 

Not thinking about that, you just lunging in her general direction and hoping for the best. You didn't get very far as you realized why she was using her knee to keep the car steady. One arm out of commission, the other holding a gun under your chin. You paused, instinctually trying to inch away from the weapon but it followed your movements. Pressing it upward so you had to follow what she wanted instead, head tilted up.

Her masked face was turned towards you, lowly commanding, "Sit down and put on your seat belt." Having a gun to your flesh but still wanting you to be a safe passenger, or she just liked the control she had over you. Doing whatever she said to because she had a fucking gun and you did _not_ want to test her. Sounding completely over it.

"Okay." You quietly answered, cringing as you backed down into your seat. She kept the gun on you the entire time, eyes returning to the road. Too scared to look away, you blindly sent an arm back to retrieve your seat belt. Fumbling your hand around, looking for it but having no luck.

There was a ' _fffwip'_ from behind you as something was pressed into your open palm, "Looking for this?"

Natalie snickered at your struggle, fingertips pressing into your hand. You had to stop yourself from shuddering at the slight skin to skin contact. Knowing she was watching every little reaction with an air of delight. The threads in her face shifting and stretching, dimples indenting themselves into her cheeks. If she wasn't a lunatic you'd call her smile charming but now envisioning it in your head, you felt your heart skip a beat in the worst way possible.

"Uh." You weren't sure if you were supposed to thank her or not. Personally, you'd rather not talk or interact with her. With any of them.

"Uh, uh uhhh." Natalie imitated your voice dumbly, pulling the belt away. You just kept your eyes on Jane, seat belt taken out of reach and not knowing what the fuck to do. "I'm just gonna," The back of seat shifted with her movements, coming more into your view, "Buckle the baby in." Leaning over Jane's arm, green jacket off her shoulders and instead tied around her waist. White tank top partially darkened around her neckline with mostly dried sweat. The ' _fffwip'_ continued as one arm reached around the other side of the chair. Moving the seat belt across your chest and passing it off to her other hand. Muscular arms that told you that you did not want to fuck with her, practically caging you in. Defined, littered with healed over scars, some more jagged than others, and decently hairy.

You just sat there while Natalie buckled you in like you were six and incapable of doing it yourself. Calling you 'the baby' to boot. One good thing about being buckled in was that Jane pulled the gun away from your chin. Putting it inside a little cubby on the drivers side door. You were still partially leaning towards Jane, waiting until you thought she wouldn't fucking shoot you for moving. You weren't given the chance to settle back down on your own. Natalie shoved you back into the seat in a awkward headlock. It was still firm enough for you to gasp and instinctively reach your hands up to try and pull her away.

"Ooh, little miss fighter over here." Natalie mocked you, for once actually getting to you. Last night you couldn't do something like this. You couldn't fight or struggle for yourself but now here you were, grabbing at her forearm with both hands and trying to pull her off of you. You knew how you worked but she didn't get the struggle that it was, bestowing the mocking title upon you that hit were it hurt. 

" _BITCH I SWEAR TO GOD!"_ Liu called from the back seat in a sharp bark.

"You swear to me?" Jack replied, amusement tinging his voice. In response, Liu just growled like a rabid dog.

Acting as your friend and then leading you to Jeff like that. Delusional as hell. Pointing a gun at you with a look of disgust. You had no allies in this car, all of these people fucking sucked. All of these people were dangerous assholes. They made you feel helpless and shitty. You hated all of them so much. 

Digging your fingertips into Natalie's skin, hating the forced touch. Gritting your teeth and snarling, trying to keep the hateful words down your throat. You were angry, but you didn't want her to actually start choking you. But her cruel snickering at your struggle made it so hard. No matter how much you pulled and dug your fingers into her, she kept her arm firmly in place. Forcefully asserting dominance over you in hopes that you'd cower even more. A pathetic asshole on a power trip. 

You couldn't take it anymore. 

_"Get your filthy fucking hands off of me."_ There was a delicious satisfaction that came with the words but also an overwhelming wave of anxiety. Trying to act like a tough guy when you were in no position to be saying that kind of shit.

Natalie gasped obnoxiously, while Jane's mask tilted your way ever so slightly. You made your bed now you were going to lie dead in it. Extreme panic taking over when, for a split second, Natalie pressed her arm harshly into your windpipe. Quickly pulling her arm away entirely, a warning. You looked over to her, still leaning between you and Jane's seats.

Patting the side of your face overly affectionately, "Watch your fucking language." You couldn't tell if that was jokingly stern or if she really meant it, just smiling for intimidation's sake. 

Thankfully, she finally disappeared into the back of the van, leaving you with one crazy murderer instead of two. Not horribly punishing you, just giving you a warning and buzzing off. Maybe gaining a shred of respect from her or perhaps she was just tired of tormenting you for now. Left alone in the front of the car while Liu continued to bark out insults while Jack dryly responded or Natalie obnoxiously degraded him. 

You couldn't help but wonder as you sat straight up in the front seat, why you were up here instead of one of them. Jane clearly didn't like you. Probably willing to sit with Jack over you. Natalie being _much_ closer to her. 

There was no silence to think in, Liu wouldn't shut up. Natalie constantly firing back equally vulgar and half-baked insults. You and Jane were the only ones who stayed relatively quiet. Both of you staring at the road ahead, lit by the morning sun. A lot still made no sense to you. They usually seemed to let you say some things without anything too bad happening.

So you risked asking a question, "Why am I here?" Not let go, up in the front seat next to her, alive in general.

The car shuddered with harsh reverberating _bang_ 's. Jack sighing, the banging quickly stopping, "Stop kicking things. You're acting like a child."

"You're acting like a little bitch!" Liu childishly retorted, "Lemme go!"

"No." 

You waited for a response from Jane as Natalie chimed in, "You look like a little worm right now." 

"You look like someone I want to crazy murder!" Liu was so softly expectant before, now he couldn't stop threatening and insulting the car's passengers.

Jane finally replied after a few moments, the conversation in the back of the car quieting by two whole decibels, "You're still useful to us." Sounding resentful of her own words. You waited with baited breath for her to continue, thinking of your original purpose. Help with Jeff's death. The image of his pathetically limp body fresh in your mind. 

Joining the two person conversation with an angry vigor, Natalie piped up, "She's fucking useless!"

You wish. Then again, your use was the only reason you were still alive. These people didn't have to tell you that they were going to kill you once they were done with you. 

Jack spoke, as helpful as ever, "Not yet." Ever cryptic and leaving details in the dark. He saved you from being chopped up by a scene queen only because of that. They all saved you one way or another from deaths certain jaws, you should've pieced it together by now. 

You echoed Jeff's question, spoken in the same softly pathetic tone, "Why?"

"'Cuz that ugly shithead is still kickin'!" Looking for clarification, perhaps an overt sign of a lie, you glanced to the rear view mirror. You didn't immediately look to Natalie because something else caught your eye. Something aggressively wiggling. Wrapped up in beige bed sheets, tucked tight as could be. Rolled up and with only his head visible, was Liu. Trashing weakly around while Jack sat on the edge of the bed. Resting his hands on the man, pressing down on the man while he leaned back. Making it so he couldn't move around as much as a panicked worm.

His face didn't look too hot. A welt in the middle of his nose, a busted and swollen lip, smaller yet noticeable bruises on his cheeks. Dried blood running from his nose to his chin. Did Natalie beat his face into the ground or what?

"What?" You said at the situation in the back and at her words.

"Jeff's alive." Jack clarified. 

No one could recover from that many fatal stab wounds and having their back probably broken. "No?" 

Extremely bitter, disappointed, resentful, Jane spoke, "Trust me. _He is."_

"You're not gonna be when I'm done with you, bitch!" Liu babbled aggressively, still wiggling around. It was an odd sight to see.

You glanced to the woman, car rolling to a stop at a road that led into a small intersection. From the back roads of bum-fuck nowhere to somewhat civilization.

"But how do you know?" You didn't fucking believe them for a second. He was dead. You can't just have a supernatural innate sense that someone is alive, that's fucking preposterous. Continuing when no one answered your question, "It's literally impossible for him to live though that." Maybe you were the dummy here, trying to reason with these loony fucks.

"I'm not supposed to be possible, but here I am." Jack made a fair point. He was kinda a freak of nature that you could not simply explain away. That gave way to the thought that Jeff should have been dead at thirteen. The kid didn't know how to use an oven even when healthy. There was no way that he survived on his own in the woods like that while he was grievously injured. Though it didn't seem like it was within the realm of possibility, it made sense. He _could_ be alive after all. Just like Bigfoot _could_ be out there.

You brought a hand up to your jacket, fidgeting with one of the pins while rocking your heels back and forth. Entertaining the idea Jeff still being alive. "He's probably just getting up right about now." Natalie began, "He's gotta be _so_ fucking pissed."

It was a stretch of logical thought to think that he could stand hours after all that. Then again, you never thought you'd see someone with a working clock in their eye. Anything could be possible. You didn't know if you wanted to believe that he was alive. Death bringing his troubled soul some peace. No longer able to yearn for you. No longer able to feel the stab wounds in his back.

"Yeah," Jane wistfully sighed, "And now we have to readjust our plan because of how much he hates you." There was a mean spirited delight in the way she spoke. Hating him so she hated you. Wanting to see you hurt too. 

"I wonder who's fault that is." Jack cut in flatly. 

The woman scoffed, driving the car through the intersection. A stretch of actually populated road ahead. Lined with gas stations, grocery stores, and various fast food chains. "Tch, it's not my fault that I've never seen him so _pathetic."_ You didn't know how you felt about her hissing the word so hatefully. "I thought it was obvious that he got fired then and there." Underhandedly admitting that she was wrong without actually saying it. 

"Stupid bitch." Liu grumbled. 

The insult quickly followed up by a light _slap_. You glanced in the rear view mirror once more to find that Natalie had sat herself away from Jack on the edge of the mattress. Turning around to give the wiggling man a little smack. No need for big theatrics when he was already put down so many pegs.

Jack ignored Liu and he writhed under his hands, "Although things went horribly wrong, I believe that Jeff still harbors enough feelings for (Y/n) for this to still work."

Your original use was still going strong. Just bait on a hook for a fish you weren't sure was dead or alive. Yet with the touchy subject that was Jeff still up in the air, you felt like you had to ask, "How do you know that?" Stomach quietly grumbling as you looked tiredly into the rear view mirror. Eyes boring into the gray reflection, praying for an answer that wasn't vague or hurtful. Though you had a feeling that no matter what he said, positive or negative, you'd be reeling at the outside validation of someone who seemed to know what the fuck they were talking about. He just had an air about him, the feeling of a complete know it all.

"If he didn't then he would have killed you instead of engaging Jane." Hateful and hurt because of you, still holding onto warm yet faded memories of good times. You saw how he took those stabs to the back like it wasn't even shit. Tunnel visioned on you but suddenly switching targets. _He couldn't do it._ If you were him, staring down your old best friend, your old rock, looking up at you like you were the monster that you rightfully were, you didn't know if you could do it either.

"Ya'know what (Y/n)?" Liu spoke the calmest he had the entire time, maybe his little temper tantrum was done and over with. Your eyes met through the mirror, he looked like shit. Miserable and at his lowest point. Maybe it was only up from here for him. 

"Yeah?" Every time you talked your heart started to race just a little bit. Hoping that you didn't say the wrong thing and set off the ticking time bomb that was Jane. Then again, she seemed too tired to break your knees and Natalie seemed to be in forgiving-ish mood. Jack didn't really give a shit.

"I'm sorry for calling you useless and trying to kill you." The sudden apology was spoken with a smile, voice scratchy from all the yelling. You were not about to tell him that the way that he treated you was fine or that it was okay. You didn't forgive him in the slightest. Deeply off put by his delusions in the first place. Still having mixed feelings that came with seeing an old friend being such a train wreck. 

You just stared at him. He kept on running his mouth, drawling, "You are useful to me and Liu and Ezeke-bitch." His words grew darker in tone and intent, "We really need your stupid fucking ass to f- _MMFPH!"_ While he had been chattering, Natalie popped open the cabinet containing things unseen, pulling a sock from it and jamming it into his mouth. 

"Put a sock in it, _bitch."_ Natalie delivered the one-liner with joyous satisfaction. Snickering as she pushed the sock further into his mouth, the man growling out muffled swears at her. Withing and wiggling more than before but he got nowhere with Jack holding him down. 

He just left you with more questions than before. What was his separate use for you? Why did he _still_ refer to himself in the third person? You tried to tackle the questions as best you could but the most reasonable explanation could come up with was he was manic after everything went so shitty. Not enjoying the sight of seeing his brother getting stabbed in the back. Peaceful delusions crumbling into chaos before him. It reminded you of better days, not the best because when specific things happened, he'd switch up how he acted on a dime. A quiet bible thumper or a hyper aggressive asshole. It made him a lot more unpredictable as a person, but back in the day it was just something you accepted as an odd character quirk. Now it didn't seem to just be a weird thing a stunted kid was doing. He had serious mental health issues. He had to if he thought someone like Jeff was fixable.

"You've been waiting the entire time to say that haven't you?" Jack questioned the woman as she basked in the glory of shutting the man up.

"Hah, maybe!" Though they were talking like frenemies there was still an undeniable weighty tension in the car. A disgracing failure that had varying affects on all of you. Back to square one or maybe further back than that. Going so much worse than any of you expected. At least you were still alive, but now you had even more emotional baggage. On the bright side, living meant you could get away from these people and go live the rest of your life in relative obscurity. You were still needed for a purpose that was probably a lot bigger than yourself. To take down someone who clearly enjoyed destroying others. Save many potential lives but have to sacrifice your own.

You weren't sure if you wanted to do that. You weren't some valiant self righteous knight in shining amour. Only made aware of your 'destiny' a short time ago. Not prepared for this, not okay with this.

It was like she was in your head reading every little thought, "We are going to try again." Jane spoke with a serious finality as she pulled the car into a drive-thru line at McDonald's. "You have _no_ choice in this. I do not care if you like it or not." A dig at Liu's earlier intention to make the ordeal as comfortable as possible for you, "Jeffery woods _will_ die." 

You were still on the rocks about him living through that. In between oddly mourning and wallowing in dread at the idea of seeing him again. You just wanted something to feel sure, solid, "He looked dead to me."

"You can't die if you're one of _them_ unless you get fired." Jack vaguely informed.

"What does that even mean?" You demanded as the car rolled closer to the outdoor menu.

"There's basically an entity that has an insurmountable number of proxies working under it. If one is a proxy, one can not die. No matter the physical bodily harm, it will heal completely within the span of a day." That sounded like some Marvel movie bullshit. Jack delivered it like it was plain and simple facts. Like before, you were reminded of how many things that were labeled as impossible were actually very possible. You felt like your head was spinning. All this shit was so confusing.

Natalie astutely added, "Yeah that's pretty much it."

You just blinked at their reflections. On one hand, that sounded like horseshit. On the other, your little pea brain was going ape shit over the idea that the supernatural was real. What was next? Aliens? You hoped so. You needed a major pick me up with all the Jeff shit going on. 

"Alright," Jane shook the topic away for the moment, "What do you guys want?" The car was next in line to order.

You watched as the sock was ejected from Liu's mouth, _"Your bitch ass dead."_

"A large vanilla milkshake and fries." Jack piped up, while Natalie reached for the spit soaked sock. The memory of the body splayed and cut open on the food court table haunting you, the smell ingrained in your memory. You couldn't imagine him eating anything else. 

"Don't you want like-" Natalie grabbed Liu's chin to keep his head still.

"Put that in my mouth and I'll f- _MMPH!"_ The sock was shoved harshly back into his mouth as he jabbering. Looking quite pissed with the whole ordeal.

Chuckling, Natalie continued, "A raw hamburger or something nasty like that?"

"I'm a vegetarian." Jack replied with clear repulsion at the idea.

Natalie spoke for everyone else in the car, "That makes no fucking sense." 

"Yes it does. I don't eat animal meat." Jack deadpanned, once again stretching the limits of social norms with the things he said. 

"You eat _people!"_ The woman tried to explain why his logic was flawed while you couldn't get the image of the body out of your head.

 _"_ The World Health Organization does not include human as animal meat. Technically, I _am_ a vegetarian." He solidly stood his ground. For someone who seemed put together, he sounded like a real dumbass right now.

"(Y/n)." Jane's voice pulled you from their conversation, "What do you want." You were _starving._ Relief flooding your system at the thought of getting to eat. Her understanding your basic human needs and not starving you. Yet you didn't feel too comfortable asking for something specific. You also didn't like the idea of her knowing more niche details about you.

Stiffly saying, "Anything's fine." Fingers fidgeting with her blacked out eyes on you. Thinking that maybe you could get one of the workers to call the police. The question was how. It could be easy, people coming through a drive through in a mask and covered in blood was uncommon and stood out. 

Natalie snapped from the back of the car, "I'll take two number nines and a ten liter diet coke!"

"You're going to get car sick if you eat that much. No." Jane spoke firmly while rolling up next to the speaker. 

"Boooo." Natalie whined but she did comply, "A large number twelve."

Jane glanced at the menu, "What drink?"

"Orange fanta." Natalie replied while Liu gutterally growled, "Shut it."

Jane rattled off the long list of orders, getting you a large number eight with a water and herself a large black coffee. Food was nice and all but you wanted to figure out what to do to catch the employees attention. 

You saw her pulling Liu's leather wallet out from the cup holders as she rolled the car forwards, stopping as the car in front of you paid. Unfolding it to reveal no drivers license or credit card. How did he get a car? Did Liu fucking commit grand theft auto? Just the tops of old Polaroids coming out of the slits where gift cards would be. Seeing the brown and messy top of Jeff's head, wisps of (h/c) beside it made you feel a heavy dropping dread. 

The employee's back was turned as the window slid open. Jane already have exact change ready. When the woman turned around she recoiled back, brows furrowing in confusion before coming forward. Laughing in a good natured manner, she chuckled, "Don't see that everyday." Jane passed the woman the money. Pulling back to count the change, "You're all set." Jane was rolling up to the next window to retrieve your collective meals before you could mouth anything to the woman. Folding the wallet up before putting it back where she found it.

Liu kept on trying to insult various people with a sock in his mouth. Sounding more like an enraged chihuahua more than anything. Natalie trying to keep her snickering quiet. There were no windows in the back of the van, save for the murky back window that was on the car doors. High up and anyone behind you would probably only see the outline of Jack's head. 

The cashier girl must have told her coworker of the weird mask lady as he looked nowhere near surprised as she did. There was intrigue for sure, asking, "Hey, how're you?" Forcing out the niceties while handing her a tray of drinks. 

"Fine, you?" Jane continued the interaction as normally as possible. You leaned forward, trying to catch the teenagers attention but his eyes were drawn to Jane's odd appearance.

"Good, good." He dismissed, going to grab a few of the bags.

Jane turned holding the tray of drinks toward you to hold steady for a moment, "Don't try anything." She hissed out in a whisper. You gulped, taking the beige cup holder and resting it on your lap. She whipped back around as the boy held two bags out to her.

"So, what's with the uh-" He didn't continue, awkwardly laughing. 

"Oh!" She pretended to sound surprised while grabbing the bags. 

You leaned even more forward, catching the boy's eye. Him looking at your terrified face while you mouthed ' _help me'._

Looking mildly taken aback and now a bit concerned. Jane continued, resting the bags on her lap, "I just really love-" She must have noticed his attention was off of her, continuing to stare as she grabbed third bag, "Me and my girlfriend here-" She dropped the bag in the area between your seats. Gloved hand slapping onto the top of your thigh in a fake display of affection, fingers angrily digging into you. Liu had another loud outburst of muffled and incoherent shouts. "And our dog! _Really_ love Halloween." She fakely laughed as you shook your head vigorously, her grip tightening, "We like to celebrate year round. She doesn't look like it but she's dressed up as her favorite final girl. She just likes to act like her all the time, gets really into character." Trying to explain your crusty appearance and behavior.

"Oh," He nodded with a laugh, "Who?"

"Ollie Cherpussie." Jane recalled the fake name you gave yourself, saying it much more convincing that you did. 

The teen looked satisfied with the explanation. In his head he was probably telling himself that you both were weird or prank Youtubers. A kidnapper coming through his drive thought would _never_ happen.

"Alright well," He clicked his tongue, "Have a nice night!"

"You too." Removing her hand from your sore leg, she pulled the car out of the drive through. Liu's phone sat above the radio, reading out directions while she drove the car forward. _"(Y/n)."_ You felt a chill run down your spine at her stern tone. You turned to her, drinks on your lap and heart starting to pound. "Pass back everyone's food." Still stern but with a hint of amusement, still too exhausted and beat down to want to scream and belittle you. Pulling a terrifying bait and switch instead.

Passing Natalie her food and drink came with no thank you. Fingers brushing by one another for a quick and cringe worthy moment before she sat down on the mattress, tearing the bag open impatiently. Jack leaned all the way over, stretching his arm for you to pass him his cold milkshake. Your hand was freezing while you gave it to him, fingers grazing atop yours as you hastily pulled your hand away to retrieve his food. He was unnaturally warm, having so many little touches with them made your skin crawl. 

Passing him the little baggie, he took it gingerly in his giant hand. "Thanks." 

Liu spat the sock out again while Jane stopped the car at a red light. Grabbing the straw meant for your water out of the last bag, beckoning for you to pass her the coffee. _"Stupid fucking bitch, I'm not a dog."_ He growled as she set the coffee in the cup holders between your seats, jamming the straw into the hole one was supposed to sip though. Instead of lifting her mask was she going to feed the straw under the covering and just awkwardly sip at it? She must really not want you to see her face.

Natalie let out an, "Oops." At the fact that he got the sock out his mouth again, quickly shoving it back in there.

Car continuing forward as you set your bag on your lap, Jane smugly commented, "Bark bark, bitch." Getting the same petty satisfaction from telling you that Jeff hated you. You only heard an angry set of vowels in response.

Not only did being kidnapped and not having anyone on your side suck, but hearing Natalie eat was the nastiest thing ever. Looking into the rear view mirror you were terrified to find her eating with her mouth open, taking ridiculously big bites. Jack on the other hand was daintily eating one french fry at a time. Dipping each one in the milkshake before consuming it. You'd seen him eat much weirder shit, you weren't phased. Jane really did drink her coffee through the straw, one handedly jamming it up her mask while keeping the steering wheel straight with her knee. You having to hold the scalding cup for her while you ate as neatly as possible, not very sure when your next shower would be.

Not very sure what was next for you and the motley crew.


	13. 12 - Cat's Outta The Bag

Home sweet home. Except it wasn't your home and it was an abandoned mall. Jane 'casually' holding the pistol as she walked behind you, the metal muzzle digging into your back coldly through the holes in your shirt and bomber jacket. You left all the garbage in Liu's car as per her request. Petty. The man himself was unrolled from his blankets and slung over Jack's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He wiggled and cursed at the much larger man, but ultimately made no progress in escaping his grasp, he didn't even seem to phase Jack. You'd feel bad for you if he didn't try to kill you earlier. 

You all walked through the downstairs entrance, walking past the uncleaned mess of dormant bouncy balls, Natalie was quietly ordered to lead you to the showers. Jane and Jack had 'better things' to attend to apparently. Before Natalie could lead you out of the bottom level of the Toys R Us, Jane shoved a wad of clothes in your direction. Underhandedly insulting how you smelled and looked. Not like you cared what the woman thought of your appearance, you were just glad to have clothes that weren't crustily stuck to your skin via a layer of dried sweat. You didn't ask if the clothes were hers or one of the others, you just kind of hoped they were stolen. The thought of wearing their clothes made your already filthy skin feel dirtier. 

She made a hasty retreat to carefully go back upstairs. Grumbling something to Natalie about how she was going to track Jeff's 'activity'. Telling you with a smile in her voice that he'd be angry, killing more people than usual, unnecessary deaths that were way too brutal all because you betrayed him. Jack pointed out that the only reason he was so mad was because she didn't follow orders. Jane then left, not before reminding Jack that he needed to help her out with something. Trying to order the man to help mend her wound without acknowledging her mistakes or asking. 

Natalie ushered you forward, guiding you through the downstairs part of the mall. The area had less debris and graffiti than the upper level. Stores not as thoroughly raided and decimated, but there still wasn't very much to look at. The most notable thing was a dried up water fountain, dirty pennies sitting at it's bottom. You wondered if their wishes ever came true. 

You'd never seen a commercial gym in a mall but here it was. Equipment completely gone, matted floors torn up, just an empty room that was dubbed in faded paint _, 'The St an'._ Most of the letters gone, you didn't care to figure out what it said before. There was something about walking side by side with someone who you knew had knives on them, someone who you knew took delight in hurting people, showing a clear interest in hurting you, that made you not want to pay much attention to anything but her. 

You kept your eyes on her the entire walk, flinching at every little fake out lunge she did at you. Nervously laughing when she joked and prodded at you, talking about how much she liked it when you to writhed and screamed when she was barely teasing you. When you entered the showers alone, you felt the closest to relieved you had all day. Still not very okay but it was a reprieve. 

There was only one way in and out of the showers, Natalie standing outside the door to make sure you didn't try anything. The room was actually pretty clean. If they were living here then it only made sense to keep the bathing area as clean as possible. The room was comprised of little units, most without a shower curtain or shower head. Only two of the eight units contained both. You entered one of the units and got to it.

You wanted it to be relaxing but there was nothing relaxing about all the shit the past twenty-four hours had thrown at you. Liu's alive, Jeff's alive, talking to Jeff, Jeff's dead, no he's not. You were being thrown into loop after loop. Still kidnapped with very few comforts and now being blasted with water colder than a witches tit. Guilt and moral confusion swirling painfully in your chest, and try as you might, scrubbing your body down with ' _dragon fruit blast'_ didn't help. You didn't know what dragon fruit was even supposed to smell like. Also questioning where they got all the bottles of hair care products and body wash. Did they steal it or did Jane just go out dressed like that and shop? 

The only article of stolen clothing you were given was clean underwear, at least they weren't going to make you wear that shit even longer. Packaged in plastic, not worn by anybody else thank god. The outfit was a dress, and sadly not stolen, freshly packaged: it was black with thin straps, looking like a tank top that was cinched at the waist leading into a maxie skirt that came down to your mid calf comfortably. Down it's center was an admittedly useless line of white buttons.

Even though your precious bomber was dirty, back torn and crusted with dried blood, you did your best to scrub the filth away in the shower, not wanting to leave the object somewhere it could get messed up. It wasn't perfect and now it was wet, cold, and heavy but it was your only really comfort through the whole ordeal. You were going to keep it in the best shape you could. Looking to the pins and thinking about miscellaneous facts about every little monster was familiarly soothing. However, as comforting at it was, you weren't going to put the wet article completely on. Opting to tie it around your waist for now, a slightly annoying feeling of dampness soaking through your clothes, but it was better than it being your entire upper body.

Slipping your own socks and shoes back on, you stood in the room with dirty clothes wadded up in a ball. Hyping yourself up to go out there and deal with more of this bullshit. Your mind fumbled with poorly thought out escape plans; throw the dirty wad at Natalie and run, maybe a surprise punch to the throat and skedaddle, or a jab at her bruised forehead and abscond. Yet each scenario only ended with her catching up to your after five seconds, pissed and ready to cut you and your borrowed dress. You stuck to not rocking the boat for now, just observe and try to figure out the layout of the downstairs. What was around that you could use, maybe a fire exit. Just keep your shit together and don't piss her off. You were already on thin and cracking ice. 

Opening the door, you saw Natalie leaning against the wall beside it. Upon you exiting, she commented, "'Bout time. Was just about to barge in there and tell ya to hurry your ass up." You weren't going to apologize, all you did was look at her with the most even expression you could muster. She continued whilst pushing herself off the wall, "Fucking hate when people make me wait for a long time."

She started to walk again, assuming you'd follow because if you didn't she'd drag you to wherever she wanted you to be by the hair. Though you did follow her reluctantly, you asked, "Uh, where do I put these?" Though it was nice to hold something, your clothes did smell _a lot._

Looking over her shoulder but not stopping, Natalie lazily informed you, "Just throw 'em on the floor."

What an animal. Just expecting you to throw already nasty clothes on a grimy ass floor. 

You ignored her suggestion, stuffing the clothes into a doorless locker. It was odd to leave familiar clothes behind but you tried to look on the bright side. When you got outta here and reported these people to the cops, it was physical evidence of your forced residency.

Glancing into the few stores without metal grates blocking off their entrances, you tried your best to ignore Natalie even though you were intently monitoring the little show she was putting on. Trying to be intimidating by twirling a knife between her fingers. Throwing it from hand to hand, sometimes a few feet up in the air only to catch it by the handle. The knife and threat of general violence itself was scary, the little party tricks were not. Reminding you of white middle school boys trying to spin their cheap butterfly knives to look cool and edgy.

_**Ssskkrrch!**_

You glanced at the entrance of a broken down Petco. An oddly loud sound emitting from the store you could hardly see inside.

_**Ssskkrrch!**_

Pausing out of a sudden curiosity, you couldn't help but comment to yourself, "What was that?" Not looking to make casual conversation with Natalie, more so doing it on instinct, not understanding something and looking for clarity. 

"Probably a rat," Natalie answered much to your chagrin, "There's more rats around here than just you." Stopped right by your side, glancing to the storefront.

You whipped your head away from the Petco, more sounds of unseen skittering and scratching emitting from the structure. Looking to Natalie who was smugly smirking, happy with getting the tiniest reaction out of you.

With a suddenly firm pat on your back to jump start your walk again, Natalie spoke snidely, "Come on, you big baby." It didn't feel the same as when Jeff used to say it. With him it wasn't meant to be a real insult, but with Natalie it felt weirdly derogatory and mocking. You didn't dignify her taunt with a response. Opting to shut your mouth and not comment or echo anything for the moment. Talking didn't seem to get you in much trouble, you just genuinely didn't want to have a conversation with her. 

The store was small, a few remaining tables and chairs, broken display cases and empty shelves. Dulled letters out it's outside reading out _Jamba Juice._ The thing that caught your immediately attention as Natalie called out, "What's up, fuckers?" Was that Liu was tied to a chair in the same ropes he freed you from. No longer growling and cursing like a feral animal, now dazedly glancing around. Looking to Jack who was leaning beside him on one of the dusty display cases. 

Neither of them responded to her. Scoffing, she sauntered over to an empty chair. Dragging it out from under a table and throwing herself in the seat with a grunt, pointing to Liu, "You look like shit."

She just left you standing near the entrance of the store, no threats, no bindings, no nothing. You did not book it. Her and Jack would catch up in a second and then you'd join Liu on a chair, also tied up. You'd take the little freedoms where you could get them. Acting obedient as possible could earn some mild trust, leading to them fucking up and making mistakes. Escape wouldn't be quick or flashy, it was a long term mind game that you needed to work for. 

Relaxing further into her seat, Natalie asked, "How's Janey?"

"Fine." Jack looked heavily uninterested in talking to her. Probably still sore about the night going so badly, trying to collect his thoughts. Fiddling again with the scalpel. What was with these people and fidgeting with knives? 

Liu ignored both of them, the second his eyes fell upon you he perked up in his seat.

"(Y/n)." Sounding so much calmer and more collected than before. Not addressing you by bitch or looking at you like you weren't even a person, completely different. "I'm _so_ sorry about him."

You weren't happy with him, with anyone in the room for the matter, plus Jane, who fucked off some time ago. An apology didn't fix anything, but he was the most familiar and easy to talk to, even if you were pissed at him. "About who?" 

Liu paused a moment, trying to figure out how to properly word his confession, "About Sully," That's a name you hadn't heard in a long time, "He's one of my alters." Sometimes he boldly proclaimed himself as Sully when you were kids, being a real asshat in the process. You just never really heard Liu refer to Sully as an alter, using proper terminology wasn't something that he did back in the day. He continued, "I don't really know what he did this time but I'm assuming it was bad enough for me to wake up like this."

You didn't know every little in and out of every mental disorder but you did retain a lot of knowledge from when you were a kid. Obsessing over the human brain, psychology. In the decade since you last saw him, you had a lot of time to reflect and think about the behaviors and come to your own conclusions. Not really doubting him about having an alter in the slightest, it was just weird to hear your theories confirmed. 

"You-" You stopped yourself and restarted, "He tried to _kill me."_

Liu looked mildly distressed but he justified his alters actions with, "He didn't though." 

"Only because I stepped in." Natalie drew attention to herself, turning in her chair to face you, _"You're welcome_ by the way."

That was true but you weren't going to thank your kidnapper for anything. Bluntly agreeing, "Yeah."

"Sorry," Liu reiterated, "Sully can be very touchy when it comes to Jeff."

Touchy? _Touchy?_ He pointed a loaded gun at you with full intent to blow your fucking brains out. Honestly, you were hardly even sure if he was sorry. He could just be trying to save face and make his messy ass look more put together and empathetic by apologizing. You didn't doubt his problems but you felt the apology was off in a way. It had you skeptically annoyed, slighted.

Shit only got worse as time dragged itself by. You were fed up and feeling mildly powerful from the fact that he was tied to a chair and you weren't. Sure, Liu himself wasn't the one insulting you or trying to kill you, but the fact that he believed that you would just go with his ideas with no regard to how you felt, pissed you off. 

Huffing and fidgeting with the hanging sleeve of your bomber, "Sorry means nothing, I'm still here." Switching the topic away from Sully and to one that mattered a lot more to you. No matter what happened, being here, being with these people, wasn't something you wanted and Liu kept on overlooking that.

Natalie sharply gasped, looking back and forth between you and Liu, "Oh shit!" Jack made no comments but he did tuck the scalpel back into the band around his arm, looking to pay more attention to the mildly worded spat.

Taken aback by the harsh cut of your tone, he rebutted, "You're here for a purpose, a good one." Still not getting it.

It was nice to talk so accusingly, like he was a verbal punching bag to take your frustration out on. You went all in, Natalie only spurred you on as much as you'd hate to admit it, "To help a guy I haven't seen in ten fucking years Liu?" 

"Oh!" Natalie was living for the discordance, waiting between spats to encourage you, "Oh! Get his ass!" 

"He's my brother," He kept a calm disposition with you, a useful asset that'd work better the more you were on his side, "And he's your best friend. I know that he's done some bad things," Softly dismissing brutal murder, sickening, "But he was a good kid. Don't you remember that?" You frowned, Jeff was your closest friend but that didn't make him a good person. Looking back, he was a dickhead but he was _your_ dickhead. "When we free him, we'll all live together and I know it'll be tough and new and scary but we can make it work." He only seemed to further talk himself into his stupid ideas. Not seeing what was wrong with what he was saying. Sure, Jeff was a staple in your life and you were iffy on how you truly felt about him, but you just couldn't get what wasn't clicking with him. 

You didn't want to continue being pissy with him for her entertainment but he genuinely needed to get it through his thick skull that he was being an insensitive dumbass. You sighed, at the end of your rope, "I do not," Every word spoken slow and heavily articulated, "Want to save Jeff." Liu's expression fell unreadable while Natalie gawked, stupidly laughing. "And I do not want to kill Jeff." Their moods flipped on their heads, Liu looking a lot less gloomy and Natalie rolling her eyes, "I just want to go home."

"I know that it's rough but we'll make a home better than the one you currently have." He wasn't fucking listening. Twisting your words in his head, thinking that you were upset by Sully and not the whole situation. You were a child to be consoled rather than stopping to reevaluate himself. 

Earlier he talked about people being your home, "My home is with my friends." No way you were going to name drop people in front of these losers, "And also, I already have a literal home-"

"Apartment." Liu was starting to take up a tone that you couldn't quite label, it but it wasn't good.

"An apartment can be a home." You scoffed in mild disbelief, if people can be a home then an apartment could _definitely_ be one.

"Ooh." Natalie commented, spectating with vigor along with Jack who'd yet to make any obnoxious comments.

"It's small and you have only one person to go home to, that's hardly anything." You blinked at his insult, insinuating that your 'home' was lesser because it wasn't the biggest or filled with people that were him and Jeff. 

"How did you know that?" He could say of your home whatever he liked, but you only saw him again the other day. He shouldn't know that.

"Ohohohohoho," Natalie was greatly enjoying the entire ordeal and it only further upset you, "How did you know that, Liu?" 

Completely unashamed, very mater-of-fact about the whole thing, Liu confessed, "I've been watching you and I've been in your apartment before." 

Your mouth fell agape, staring at the man who seemed to feel no remorse or guilt for admitting that he'd _invaded_ your privacy. There was fear, someone in your home without your knowledge. What had he seen? What had he heard? Did he go through your things?

 _"Excuse me?"_ You'd appreciate some clarification even if it'd only further piss you off. He owed it to you after making such a bold statement.

"I had to." Liu defended himself, "I didn't know how to approach you and I wanted to learn about what you've been up to."

"Breaking into my house is a lot worse than saying _'hi, I'm not dead'!"_ You huffed in disbelief. How could one person be so up their own ass? How come your brain could still think warmly of him because of the kid he used to be?

"Well, I did kill someone. I thought you'd be scared." Correct, but you still would have been weirdly happy to see him. Even if you totally would call the police on him. "Look, I'm sorry that I wasn't the one to kidnap you. I hesitated for awhile because I wanted to make sure you still cared about Jeff and then something came up and I had to do something out of state. Jane was getting impatient so it was on her to pick you up. I thought that she wouldn't be too rough with you." There he went again, saying wild shit while acting like it was completely normal. 

You immediately snapped at him, _"Are you fucking crazy? Like, are you serious? Have you lost your fucking marbles, Liu?"_ Not really knowing how to articulate your feelings into words other than angry rhetorical questions.

While your questions hung in the horribly stagnant air, Jack commented for the first time, "Damn." Agreeing with Liu or not, it only further upset you.

He was why you were here. He was why you had to endure this entire fucking nightmare. Before he could spout more bullshit you snapped, "Ya'know what, I don't fucking care." Yes you did. You were just pretty sure that if you heard any more of his delusional rhetoric you'd lose your shit. 

"Sorry." He attempted to apologize for putting you through all of this without his actions and a simple word. That fixed _nothing_ for you. It was the easy and shitty way out. Not wanting to let you go for selfish reasons, while talking of how much better he could make your life. You were on nobody's side but your own. The side of going home and being normal. 

You ignored him, needing a moment away but not stupid enough to try and walk off on your own. Anger evident in your voice, you asked, "Where's the bathroom?"

Jack opted to lead you to the bathroom. Natalie really wanted to stay with Liu and mock him. She liked pestering you, but she seemed like savor every little advantage over Liu she had. Now Jack was walking a few feet ahead of you, not so quietly stringing you along. Feet shaking the ground even with his slowed pace, leisurely walking while you had to put some pep in your step to keep up with him. At least he didn't bring up the argument with Liu. That's the one okay quality he had, being the quietest. Honestly, as big as he was, he was the least intimidating. Hurting you the least and just making dry wisecracks occasionally. The eating a whole ass person thing was wicked scary though, you weren't unafraid or comfortable around him. It was just all the yelling the other two did mixed with violence towards you that made them much more real threats in your head.

You did genuinely have to take a piss and it was good to get away from Liu. Trying to cool down and collect yourself as to not get lost in anger. You needed to stay goal orientated, you told yourself, doing your best to push the thoughts of him away while you looked around the downstairs. Being lead back the way you and Natalie came, the hanging sign pointing to the restrooms right beside the Petco. 

_**Ssskkrrch!**_

There it was again, had to be some really big rats to make sounds so loud.

Looking around for anything to use, you saw it. A dark brown spot that at first looked like just another bit of debris but after a second it clicked, and you were elated as much as you could be. Peeing could wait, hopefully Jack didn't carry you off, you just _really really_ needed this. 

Stopping in your tracks, the shake lessened as Jack did the same. Turning around to 'look' at you as you shamelessly called out, " _Pspspspspspspspspspsps."_ It took a few seconds of doing the call for the cat to turn your way and cautiously make it's way over to you.

The man didn't stop you as you continued to call for the animal. The animal calling out with a, "Mrrrow?"

"Mrrrow!" You echoed it's call, somehow hoping it understood that you were a friend. 

"Mmmmuurrow?" The cat sweetly called coming ever closer, tail perked up, happy. Maybe the poor thing was someone's lost and confused pet, just looking for a human to help it. 

"Mmmmuurrow!" You called back, there was a great relief in echoing back and forth with something.

_**Ssskkrrch!**_

The cat paused, fur starting to stand on end. You called out to it to catch it's attention, " _Pspspspspspsps."_ Wanting to put the animal at ease, wanting to feel soft fur beneath your fingertips. Jack still watched, observing your behaviors or maybe interested in petting the cat too. Remembering his ridiculous claim of being a vegetarian, he wouldn't eat the poor thing.

After a moment, the cat reluctantly began to approach, "Bbbrrrip?" Looking toward the source of the scraping sound.

"Bbbrrrip!" You reassured, the animal looking back to you and speeding up. Then it paused, suddenly incredibly fluffy, scared. Maybe it was scared of Jack. "Mrrrow?" You attempted to call it's attention back to you but all that did was make the cat turn tail and start to bound away. Frowning, you were disappointed, but at least it was nice to have a semi-peaceful moment.

A flash of white whizzed between you and Jack. You could hardly comprehend it before it landed, accompanied by the scratching you'd been hearing and a shrieked, " _MRAAAO_ -"

**Crunch.**

You flinched at the sudden cracking sound but you stayed in place. Focusing your eyes on the off-white mass hunched over where the cat used to be. Much, much, _much_ larger than the cat and hairless. Skin unnaturally white pulled taught over what looked like a human skeleton with a bit more mass. You could make out every notch of vertebrae, the bumpy trail leading to an tiny stump of a trail.

The squealing and loud slapping of something wet onto the tile floor was grossly reminiscent of the sound of Jeff getting stabbed over and over. This time with an added snapping, you didn't think that you were a big fan of the mix of sounds.

_"Pspspspspspspsps."_ Jack called out for the thing that you gawked at with an open mouth. With a disgustingly wet _slap_ the thing whipped it's bald head around. The bottom half of it's face covered in chunks of dark red and pink, painted vibrantly against it's pale complexion. A lipless mouth full of jagged teeth, a short and stubby nose, unnaturally circular bright white eyes. You watched with baited breath as it turned around, walking on all fours. Long bony limbs ending in spindly claws. It's front claws and upper torso stained that same horrible red, chunks of soft brown telling you terrible news. That thing just killed the cat.

"Bbbrrip?" The guttural croak emitted from it bloody mouth as it clambered forward. Completely shellshocked, you stood frozen while trying to process what the fuck just happened. Jack on the other hand held his arms out to the thing as it came closer. In front of the massive man, looking up while hunched down. Surprising you once more as it stood up on it's back legs. Rising taller than Jack by a few inches. Awkwardly long arms wrapping around his torso while he returned the gesture.

They patted each other's back as your bran was melting. You'd never seen anything like it. Just adding onto the list of unbelievable things that you'd come to see in the past few days. Pulling away, the thing lowered itself back onto all fours.

"Nice to see you." Jack warmly greeted the thing.

It looked down, claws scratching across the tile as it made line after line. Writing ' _hh hi iii i'._ Intelligent enough to write, humanoid but not quite human. You couldn't contain your curiosity any longer, "What is that?"

"I think you mean; _Who_ is that?" Jack tutted as the thing snapped it's head to you. It was terrifying but it you were still open for a reprieve and this thing as bloody as it may be sure looked like one. A curiosity to be explored.

A curiosity that tilted it's earless head as it approached you. "Rake this is (Y/n)." Jack introduced you to the thing, "He won't bite." You didn't believe Jack for a single solitary second but you didn't run away either. Too interested and knowing you wouldn't get very far.

"Mmmmrrrp?" The guttural call from his throat sounded like a mockery of the cat's. A lot less soft and a lot more spine chilling. 

You had no idea how he worked but you were willing to find out more. Though fear clutched your throat with it's cold grip, you were still able to mimic the sound, "Mmmmrrrp."

He lifted a single claw, standing on three limbs and holding out a claw in what you think was supposed to be a handshake. Showing the capability for communication and making noises but not speaking. Curiouser and curiouser. You had to hold back a smile looking at the strange creature. 

Though you did hesitate, raising up your hand shakily but not quite taking his claw yet. Still covered in cat blood. "Don't be shy," You glanced over to Jack skeptically, "He doesn't eat people." It was less of a friendly smile and more of an intimidating snarl, showing off his own set of jagged teeth. Much sharper, attached to a proven man eater, seeming to say ' _he doesn't eat people like I do_ '. 

You nervously laughed, quickly looking away. Trying to shake off the intimidation attempt that admittedly worked, you reached your hand out. Bringing your palm to his, wrapping your fingers loosely around the side of his massive clammy palm. In response the man-cat-dog-thing, Rake apparently, closed it's claws around your forearm. Not pressing into your skin and piercing your flesh. 

He started moving his arm up and down, a janky and quick movement that you tried to match. Marveling at him, a wonderfully nice oddity that was getting cat blood on your arm. You weren't the best with introductions or small talk but you tried, "Nice to meet you?"

"Brrrrip!" You hoped that was his way of saying likewise. 

He let go of your arm and you let go of his palm. As you pulled your hand away, he came forward. Bumping his bald scalp against your open hand, you watched with intrigue as he rubbed his head up and down your palm. Like a cat making your give it loving scratches. Intrigued, you moved your hand, rubbing his cold skin. 

A deep rumbling emitted from Rake's bony chest as you continued. Was he purring? What exactly was he? You were incredibly interested in the creature, a crpytid perhaps. Your heart sped up at the thought, an involuntary smile spreading across your lips. 

"Alright, that's enough." Jack cut the interaction short, Rake immediately pulling away from your touch and sitting on his haunches. "Come on." He turned around, leading you once more. 

"Can I ask you a question?" You inquired as you tried to keep up with the man. Rake perking up and tagging along at Jack's other side.

"You just did." You should've seen that one coming. Opening your mouth to reword the question, he cut you off, "And no, I will not tell you anything about him."

Internally deflating and shifting back into your shittier thoughts, you walked into the bathroom. Sitting there on that questionably clean toilet you heard Jack call, "No. Wait, don't _, ugh."_ The sound of claws on tile entering the woman's restroom. Jack didn't follow, just sighing. Perhaps annoyed that his friend was so weirdly interested in you. 

Peaking out the bottom of your stall, you saw his pasty limbs as he paced in loose circles near your stall, smart enough to know it would be rude to stick his head under the closed door. Continuously calling out, "Muurip? Muuurip?" Cutely confused, you quickly forgot about the cat. This was so much better but simultaneously so much worse. Another member of the murder party. A somewhat intelligent guard man-cat-dog-thing.

This only got weirder and weirder.

You were only experiencing this weirdness because of Liu, seeing your first ever real life cryptid but also seeing more dead people than you ever had in twenty-four hours. You were still angry but underneath that, you still pitied him after all this shit. He'd deteriorated so horribly that he really believed all the things he said, that everything could go back to normal. You missed the kid he used to be and wished that he'd come back to you. You didn't know if that was possible. It made you as angry as it made you sad, all that you had lost and would never get back.


	14. 13 - Belly Of The Beast

It was weird to sit next to something that was somehow taller than you when you were sitting on a chair while it was sitting on the ground like an eight foot tall house cat. You thought he liked you, which was honestly nice. No trying to attack you or forcing ideals onto you, just sitting there being scary and weirdly cute. 

Jack had untied Liu upon your return, no longer seeing a point in keeping him restrained as Sully wasn't fronting. You didn't know how you felt about that. On one hand, no matter who was fronting, both men had slighted you in some way. You felt bad for Liu as much as you wanted to punch him in the nads. Though you only thought about the act and didn't go through with it. One stupid move and you could get fucked up. 

It took a lot of will power though. Having to remind yourself that he wasn't well, he was a victim of circumstance, he was like you. The only one out of all of you who wanted to save Jeff. You neutral and unsure on the issue whilst Rake licked excess blood from his long fingers without a care in the world. 

Natalie left, much to your relief, but not without telling you some disturbing news. Apparently, you made her want to kill things. If that was because you made her mad or she couldn't use you to satiate her bloodlust, you could not tell. What you could understand was that she promised to bring you back a 'souvenir'. Killing for pleasure, for fun, enjoying it as a sport, was pretty fucked up. You saw what Jeff did, what Jack ate, but just being aware of more murder didn't have you feeling too hot. Unlike Jeff, Natalie wasn't sympathetic in the slightest to you. No deep personal history, no complexities, there was a mutual distaste. You didn't doubt her claims of being a killer for a second, it was just something you'd yet to see, so a part of you kept trying to reason that she way lying through her teeth.

Liu was the next to head out, patting you on the shoulder while Rake growled at him. Well, you think it was a growl you really couldn't tell. Getting another apology in before leaving you alone in an abandoned mall with a cannibal and a cryptid. There was a tense air between you both. Different goals, conflicting beliefs, and he needed you to get on his side to make the entire ordeal easier on him, easier on Jeff. He said something about wanting to see Jeff's activity.

"When something like this happens, it usually takes him a few days of sporadic killing to cool off." The reminder that he was thinking of you while destroying other human beings was a rattling one. You tried not to think about it.

Then there were three. You, Jack, and Rake. Jack made his leave awhile after Liu. You couldn't keep track of time, but it felt like forever. Him just standing there while Rake occasionally sniffed the wet jacket around your waist. After not talking for awhile, probably helplessly bored, Jack made a comment about going to 'restock', telling Rake to keep an eye on you. 

Though he provided no context as to what restocking meant, you had a feeling it wasn't a good thing.

With Jack's direction the man-dog-cat-thing straightened up a bit. Keeping his giant milky eyes on you, observing every movement. You saw what he did to that cat. Coming after it quick as lightning and tearing it to shreds in seconds. Quiet growls emitting from his chest every time you moved a bit too much, he took Jack very seriously.

One instance that happened was when you went to untie the jacket. Though you did your best to wring it out in the shower, it was still damp for quite a while. Though it was still cold, it wasn't uncomfortably wet anymore, and you wanted to put it back on. The process was slow, Rake grumbling out a warning if you moved too fast. Though once you untied the knot, he seemed to kind of get that you weren't trying to escape. You were just doing something he couldn't quite understand, but he allowed it nonetheless. It was nice not be yelled at or belittled every three seconds. Though he was fascinating, Rake was still an enigma wrapped in a mystery. You didn't know very much of his capabilities or thought process. It tacked a precautionary fear onto your intrigue.

Jacket finally back on your shoulders, you felt a bit more comforted. Idly beginning to fidget with one of the pins as you thought of how the hell to get out of here.

"Muuurrip?" He pulled you out of your thoughts before you even could really get into them. Turning to him, you saw how close he was. Leaning toward your hand, or more accurately, the pin you were fidgeting with. A sparkly Fresno nightcrawler. 

You tilted it back and forth, watching the Rake's head move side to side with it. This went on for some time, you utterly fascinated by his reaction to the pin and his complete enamoration with it. Then you got the spark of an idea. Slowly, your other hand brought itself up. Rake paid little attention to your movements. You fumbled with the back of the pin for a moment before removing it from the fabric.

Lifting the button, you watched Rake as he eyed the pin. Bringing himself to his hind legs to be level with the thing. You didn't know if he liked the way light reflected off of it's surface or if the shape itself was interesting to him, all you knew was they he _really_ liked the pin. Earlier you thought escape would be a slow and grueling crawl, but the opportunity that presented itself now seemed a lot more fun and not as mentally tortuous. It could be easy as lightly throwing a pin. 

Clattering to the floor, Rake whipped around. Not expecting to you throw it a few feet away. He clamored toward it, carefully picking up the tiny thing between his long fingers. Turning around and gingerly pushing it toward you. "Muuurrip." Perhaps a _'here you go'_ or _'you dropped this'._

"Oh, why thank you." You plucked the button from his fingers. Before he could settle back into his earlier spot, you threw the pin once more. This time with more effort, landing across the room.

Rake whipped around and bounded over to the pin. Picking it up between two claws once more and coming back to you, holding it out to you once more. "Thank you!" You graciously accepted, throwing it again.

This time when he scrambled around to grab the thing you stood and followed him. Trying to look like you were innocently following along. The door by your side. Turning around with the pin between his fingers, he didn't seem to question your movement. Shoving the pin toward you once more, a slight wiggle to his stubby tail. Excited, playful. 

"Brrrip?" The rolling sound emitted from his throat as you turned toward the door, perhaps getting a bit suspicious of you. Then you threw the pin out of the store, landing in the middle of the mostly empty corridor. He dropped all other ideas, scrambling after the pin. Claws scratching loudly against the tile. You followed him out into the corridor, checking both ways for any of the others. Jane and Liu were most likely still upstairs. They may hear Rake scrambling about the mostly quiet mall if they were close by. After all, the open floor plan allowed you to see the roof from the bottom floor, sound traveled pretty openly though the mall. You'd have to be more careful about Rake's movements than your own.

He quickly returned the nightcrawler, a noticeable bounce in his step. You couldn't help but genuinely smile at him, raising your arm to throw the pin once more, longer. A test. 

The twinkling white pin soared though the air. Only a few feet, you weren't a fucking quarterback, and you still going for some subtlety. Playing fetch with Rake until you made your way to the exit. Though it was impromptu, it seemed to be working well. Him not catching the fact that with every throw, you'd take a few steps closer to the way you came. Him thinking it was all a game.

You heard nothing from the people upstairs. Nor did you hear anything from the other two. You didn't know how long it'd been since they both left. It felt like hours though, just sitting in that chair with Rake's beady eyes on you. You just hoped they wouldn't be back anytime soon. The unknown time constraints of supposed murder and restocking had you on edge.

It took a bit of trial and error, but eventually your throws were getting better. Not perfect or incredibly far but at least not weak and pitiful. Rake gladly ran after the pin over and over again, returning quicker each time. Excited for the next throw. You felt somewhat bad for using him, manipulating him into not guarding you and letting you escape. However, you'd take feeling a little bad about a man-dog-cat-thing over being with these people any longer. 

The entrance to Toys R Us grew closer and closer. No one had come back or to check on you. Unchecked and having the most fun with escape you could possibly have. All was going well.

Then she came sauntering out of the dim entrance of the toy store. Rake returning the pin once more, wiggling and practically bouncing up and down at the idea of another throw. You didn't throw the thing right away, staring with wide eyes at Natalie. Her mouth was stupidly agape at first, seeing you and Rake just chilling in the middle of the corridor. Clearly escaping. 

You didn't think the killing was supposed anymore. She was absolutely covered with blood or just suspicious red paint. You hadn't seen her create any artwork though. White tank top, green flight jacket, even in her short locks, soaked with the distinct body fluid.

"Well," One hand fidgeting with a reddened blade, "Well," The other was balled in a tight fist, "Well." 

"Brrip?" Rake inquired, wondering when you were going to next throw the pin. 

"Didn't expect to see you out here," She chortled, that horrid _tick tocking_ of her eye catching your attention way too much, "I thought you'd stay in place like a good girl and wait patiently for _mon petit cadeau pour toi."_ You frowned at her, not appreciating the way she addressed you. Belittling, the disgusting lack of respect of another human, giving even less of a shit about human life. You shouldn't expect anything from someone like her, but it still grated on you. "I get it though, you were just excited, right?" She took a step forward, you didn't take one back. 

Goosebumps rising upon your skin but you'd made it this far. You were going to keep going, you were already in trouble if she caught you. "Absolutely not." You spoke as firmly as you could. 

She just laughed at you, haughty, x's on her cheeks stretching and shifting with the movements of her mouth. Disfigured and unstable. "Hoo! You are just on fire today aren't you?" She wasn't taking you seriously, coming forward wielding a knife while you wielded a two inch sparkly pin. 

You couldn't stand the way she talked to you. Biting or overly friendly, it made your skin crawl.

"I am not on fire." You bluntly stated, daring to look away from her for a split second. Rake was excitedly waiting for you to throw the button already.

Her mocking cackle brought your attention back to her, "There you go again being all cute and fight'n shit you can't control. Anyways, since you're just _so excited_ to see what I got you," She lifted her balled up fist, "I'll show you before I kick your ass into next week." The fist peeled itself open one finger at a time.

_Clickity-clack, clickity-clack._

You couldn't tell what it was at first. Tiny bits of red and white falling from her palm. Bouncing lightly on the floor upon impact. Distinctly shaped, light weight individual bits, teeth. 

Reeling with a cringe, you tried to contain your terror and disgust. Not wanting to give her exactly what she wanted, but you failed. Though you may have the will power to try and escape over and over, you didn't have the power to keep a straight face. Her cackle at your reaction only had your stomach in knots. Feeling like a professional clown was twisting the organ into a balloon animal.

"Do you like it?" Slowly stepping forward, purposefully crunching one of the teeth beneath the heavy duty sole of her boot, "It was a real hassle to get them outta the guys mouth while he was still screamin'." Disgust, guilt, hate, all pointed directly at the woman. She deserved the worst, "Come on, don't leave me hanging, baby." Another use of the pet name with a distinctly derogatory tone. 

Reeling your arm back you spat out, "I got something for you too!" Rake with widely expectant eyes as you threw your arm forward. The white pin traveling in an arc toward her. Time seemed to slow, a tremor starting below your feet, Jack was nearby. 

She caught the pin no problem, flipping it around in her fingers to observe it, "What the hell is th- _FUCK SHIT!"_ Taking a moment to register that Rake was barreling toward her. Whipping around on her heels and entering the Toys R Us in a sprint. Shit. That was fine, maybe you could make it work while you ran past her. " _JACK, GET YOUR FUCKING DOG!"_

The tremor could be coming from one of two directions. From the stairwell in Toys R Us or the corridor at your side. Your brain wasn't given any time to process the events as you heard Jane's voice from somewhere upstairs, "What's going on down there?" She was coming too, probably with Liu in tow. 

The Toys R Us was about to be, or already, swarming with adversaries. Panicked, you turned on your heel and ran back the way you came. Not thinking where to go, just going. Wanting to be as far away from them as possible.

Passing the Jamba Juice and various other stores, you came to another turn that you quickly tore down.

 _"FUCK OFF!"_ You'd smile at Natalie's unseen torment if your mind wasn't racing with where to go. Turning two more corners, you found yourself faced with the Toys R Us again, the downstairs was just a giant rectangle. 

"Let go of the shiny thing." You heard Jack's voice emitting from the store, they were in there. Your only known escape route.

Taking cover around the corner, glancing around for a fire exit or something, you heard Jane, "Wait. If you're both here and I'm here, who's watching (Y/n)?"

 _"FORGOT TO MENTION SHE GOT OUT!"_ Natalie shrilly shrieked in terror. 

_"Forgot to mention?!"_ Jane snapped.

_"SORRY BABE! JACK, THE DOG!"_ Going from sadistically in power to a terrified prick.

"He's not a dog," Jack informed annoyed, "Drop the shiny thing and he'll stop." 

"Oh!" Natalie realized, probably dropping the pin. Your time was pretty much up. You needed to hide.

"Did you see where she went?" Liu inquired. At least if he found you he'd be the nicest about it. You'd guess if Natalie found you right about now she'd tear you to shreds.

"Fuck no!" She snapped at the man as you crept down the hall, looking for a place to go, "But there's hardly anywhere to go down here."

You spotted a little deli. A faded pig with a chefs hat on and a butchers knife on it's hoof. In bold red letters under the mascot you read ' _Fre h Me t D li'._

"Spread out." Jane ordered in a grunt, over you and your shit.

You climbed over the counter into the abandoned establishment. Almost immediately your nose was assaulted with the strong scent of chemicals, maybe bleach or something like it. Cringing, you continued deeper into the store. A basic area to make sandwiches that lead into a back area. It seemed like your best bet. The idea of hiding again and missing out on your escape sucked and was nerve wracking, but you were willing to hide for hours on end. You were in it for the long haul. Willing to deal with the growing smell of chemicals, with a tinge of artificial lemon, that only grew in intensity as you traveled further into the deli. 

You tried to ignores Natalie's calls as you entered the backroom. It lead to a metal door that was slightly ajar. The only other thing in the back were tipped over and empty remains of shelves. It was your only option, an abandoned meat freezer. 

"I'm _so_ gonna fucking get you!"

Grabbing the rim of the door, you found it was quite heavy, but nothing you couldn't manage with a bit of effort and adrenaline. Slipping inside, immediately turning to shut the door to sit at the same exact spot it had earlier. The smell was the worst in here but there was something distinctly metallic. A wet continuous dripping. Maybe a leaky pipe ran through here. 

When you turned to survey the room for somewhere to hide, you found that you immediately wanted to vomit and then leave. There was not animal meat in the abandoned freezer, nothing was frozen without power anyway. The person was laid out naked on the mostly clean table. Head lolling off it's edge, almost looking at you with upside down and dead eyes. Two cuts on either side of their neck, thin and precise. Right where two different major arteries were. Blood leaking out lazily, traveling down their neck, the sides of their face and then finally falling off into the bucket below their head. 

One thought that randomly popped into your mind was that how that was an inefficient way of draining a body of it's blood. The body wasn't hung upside down, just the head. Unless all of the blood wasn't supposed to be drained. You could only really wonder about it as your eyes flickered to the table beside the body. Various medical instruments set neatly upon it.

You had to suppress a screech or a harsh stream of projectile vomit. The ground starting to shake ever so slightly, Jack was coming. Hopefully he'd overlook the freezer.

Hearing Liu call out from close by, "It's okay (Y/n)," Trying to be comforting, the lesser evil, "I get that you're scared. I'd be too. How about you come out and we can just talk about it?"

There was noting to talk about. You didn't want to be here simple as that.

You looked around the dim room for somewhere to hide. It was pretty open. The only thing you could take solace in was that it was a very specific area to seek out, so maybe by luck they wouldn't enter. The thing was, someone knew of the area. Keeping a freshly dead corpse in here for god's sake, he must come here often.

Not confident in your chances, but with nowhere else to go, you shambled past the body. Pinching your nose from the overly pungent smell, trying to keep a panic attack from taking hold. There were only two options that looked like you wouldn't be immediately caught in. Two large lockers leaning against the back wall. Looking like the same ones from the gym. Possibly torn out and hauled all the way here for some reason. 

Neither of them were locked, opening the rusty metal while the footsteps grew louder. The first locker was completely stocked with various cleaning products. Little to no room to climb in unless you loudly rearranged everything. Shutting it as quietly as you could, you cracked open the next locker. Finding that the small shelf at the top was the only thing containing anything. Jars containing a murky liquid, suspending various different human parts. One containing a bunch of fingers. Another with only eyeballs. Then another with a heart. You wanted to throw up but now wasn't the time to get so scared that you'd puke and piss your pants. 

Stepping into the spacious locker, you shimmied around to face the rusty door and ever so carefully pulled it shut. The rumbling footsteps grew louder, you breath hitching with nearly every single one. The only way you could combat the panicked response was to slap both of your hands over your mouth. Doing your best to quiet yourself as it just got louder. Locker startling to quietly rattle around you.

Now, the past few minutes had been shitty, but when you saw the door swing open so easily though the three slits on the locker door, you just about felt your heart stop. Obviously it was Jack, the footsteps gave it away rather quickly. The giant man ducking under the door frame and entering the room.

You tried your best to reason with yourself as he stomped in. He left the door wide open, maybe you could make a run for it. Though you weren't sure you'd make it very far, it was at least an option. Maybe he just came in to check on his fucked up science experiment? You then and there figured out what he meant by restocking. You didn't want to see it but you hoped that he just came in for a quick bite. 

He was by the body's side in an instant. You almost breathed a sigh of relief, just skipping out on his current task to get a sickening snack. Grabbing the corpse's hand, he reached for one of the small instruments. Quickly jerking back a single finger.

**Snap.**

You jolted in your hiding spot at the sound. Locket quietly rattling around you, cringing and heart racing as you focused on the man though your tiny windows. He didn't look in your direction, hopefully he didn't hear you. It was some sort of surgical knife. Blade a bit bigger than the scalpel in his armband. Making quick work of the flesh, bone severed from the brutally efficient force he used, too easy. 

If organs were no big deal for this guy then a single finger wouldn't be either. Yet him popping the bloody end of the served digit into his mouth was surprising and disgusting. Pulling the raw flesh off the bone like it was an overly fatty chicken wing. Stomach horribly clenching at the sight, but you felt the need to keep your eyes on him. On the lookout for any golden opportunities.

Though none came. Watching for what was probably less than a minute as he pulled flesh from bone. Yanking the fingernail off with a look of mild disgust. Throwing it in a trashcan you hadn't seen by the door. Once it was just a stick of bone and joints, he popped the broken end to his lips and sucked. You watched with mild intrigue but mostly horror as he fucking slurred out the finger's marrow. Dropping the hollow bones and bits of joints into the bucket of blood. Akin to a chef putting a stick of cinnamon temporarily in their mixture to add flavor. 

For the most part he remained rather clean through the ordeal. Though a bit of a mess was inevitable, due to him literally eating raw human meat. Blood leaking onto the table, getting onto the pads of his fingers. You wished that he would be done after one finger, but you supposed the meat on a finger didn't provide too much sustenance. He grabbed another.

**Snap.**

Though you were ready for this one, you still shut your eyes for a few moments. Hearing the squelching of skin and muscle being cut through. Cracking your eyes open, you were mortified to find he was looking right in your direction. Well, 'looking', his black holes for eyes were pointed hauntingly towards the lockers. Bringing the digit to his mouth and going to town. He didn't eat obnoxiously messily or exaggerate his chewing, he didn't need to add anything on to further scare you because you were already just about ready to shit your pants.

Did he know you were there or was that just a creepy and weird coincidence? Was he going to eat your hands now? What was Natalie going to do when he eventually brought you back to Jamba Juice? 

Questions and 'what if' scenarios ran though your head as he kept on eating. Sharp teeth digging into the flesh like it was nothing. Tugging and pulling away the skin. Sucking away bone marrow. Dropping the other bone into the bucket. You were trying not to shake and sob, this shit was terrifying. Though you weren't doing a very good job, tears quietly welling up in your eyes. You just wanted to go home.

He made no show of calling you out. No slow and calculating steps. He approached the lockers, tiny knife in hand. Subconsciously you leaned away from the slits that exposed you even though he couldn't actually see them. You felt an immense wave of relief and fear when he opened the other locker to grab a sanitary wipe. Taking care of his hands and the blade. Returning to his set up and neatly putting it back in place. Heading for the door and throwing the wipe away. It really looked like he was going to leave.

Then he turned around. Making a harsh beeline for your locker. Rusty metal shaking with his stomping approach. You pressed your back to the enclosure, feeling only partially secure by the metal walls boxing you in. It was like a hug except from a person it was cold and unintamate.

Through the slits of the locker you could make out his chest, the straps of the trench coat pulled tight, the hood down and draping his broad shoulders. Anything above the base of his neck was out of your limited view. After his initial approach he didn't move at all. So you both quietly stood there for minutes on end. Hearing the distant yelling calls of the others. Maybe he didn't know that you were in here, possibly trying to fake you out. Two could play at the waiting game.

The door was whipped wide open by a blur of black. You shrieked, cowering back on instinct and bringing your hands away from your face to try to defend yourself. You didn't get a chance to fight back because both of your wrists were snagged by a single over-sized palm. Leather and overly warm, freshly sanitized fingers wrapping around your skin. He wasn't done there. With your hands lifted up and out of the way his other hand shot out and snatched you by the neck. Encompassing the majority of your throat, nails digging harshly into the back of your neck. 

Gasping, you were yanked out of the locker. Feet lifted from the ground as you attempted to kick and squirm your wrists from his grip. The locker slammed shut behind you by a blur in the corner of your eye. Back roughly shoved against the metal,arms forced above your head and a hand on your throat. Your bulging eyes were focused on his face, you honestly couldn't read his expression but you'd assume he wasn't very happy to see you.

The worst part about seeing his face, other than the fact that he caught you, was the blood on his lips. Not bothering to wipe it away.

Grip tight but not fully choking you, deciding to crush your wrists instead. Squeezing so hard you felt like he'd just stopped the blood flow. Cringing and absolutely panicking, you tried to kick at him. Close proximity allowing you to get some good hits on his legs. Although it didn't really do anything. Trying to keep a rational flow of thought while being held so painfully was difficult. In fact your entire thought process was ' _AAAAAA I'M GOING TO FUCKING DIE!'_

Pushing out the words on a whim, " _Put me down!"_

All that got you was his grip on your throat tightening. You attempted to wiggle out of his iron grasp but nothing seemed to work.

 _"(Y/n)."_ He addressed you sternly, not having to bend himself down as he'd brought you up just below his eye level. You didn't stop struggling even though it was incredibly strenuous on your neck. Instinct telling you not to stop, just keep writhing and maybe you'll break free. You didn't. 

"You need to stop these _pitiful_ attempts." Either a dig at your struggle or your escape attempts, probably both. "All you're accomplishing is further testing my patience." Every word a stern and low statement. A sense of authority radiating off of him, you really didn't want to fuck with him right now. Even if he was 'looking' a bit too far to the left, making a slight mistake in where your face exactly was, but that didn't make him any less terrifying.

Jack didn't loosen his grip to let you get a word in. Sputtering out wheezy vowels as you mostly focused on breathing what little air you could. He continued, "Making us run around and chase you is only a waste of our time." He didn't have to be all dramatic about finding you either, he could have just grabbed you out of the locker awhile ago and moved on. This wasn't as straight forward as that was it? Trying to climb the ranks to be the most intimidating and then some. Scary enough for you to actually listen. 

"You are _not_ going to ruin this for us. This is _so much bigger_ than you." Emoting, brows down turned and frown deep, fed up. Maybe the straw that broke the camels back was that you used Rake as a means of escape. Seeing it as a major disrespect to the creature. Which it totally was. There was also the fact that it was true if they weren't lying about needing you to get to Jeff. They probably would rather get this all done and over with sooner rather than later. Jane had been waiting six years to kill him, if you were her you'd be tired of waiting too. But you weren't her, you didn't give a shit about her life or cause, you just wanted to go home. 

That was a pretty solid lecture, it had your knees shaking and your breath literally taken away. You got the message, 'quit trying to escape it's fucking annoying'. But he wasn't done, " _If this happens again I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself from tearing your throat out with my teeth."_ It wasn't an angry screech like Jane, a laughed out threat like Natalie: it was dry, matter-of-fact, completely serious. Not only was there fresh blood on his lips but it also coated his teeth. Catching glimpses of the canines whenever he spoke. You were pretty sure there was something between his two front teeth, skin.

_"Do you understand?"_ He loosened his grip on your throat. Neck straining from all the weight it was forced to carry, blood flow cut off from you hands. 

Feeling the heat figurative and literally, he had a way above average body temperature, you spouted out the first thought your brain spat out, "I thought you said that you didn't run?" His earlier comment on the subject stuck with you, a kernel of in truth, a little victory you held onto dearly. Instantly, his grip tightened once more. Nails intentionally prodding and digging into your flesh. You kicked and cringed but it did nothing, you'd just dug your own grave by not thinking. 

Something pressed harshly into your chest. You looked to the thing that only increased your confusion. That same black scaly mass that held up Jane was now prodding you. Thinning to a rounded off point, resembling a snakes body, some sort of tendril coming up from his trench coat. As much of an oddity as it was, earlier you were fascinated by it, now it felt like something you didn't want to look at. Something that just might be used to hurt you.

"Humans can survive with one lung." Jack bluntly informed you, the appendage pressing harder into you clothed flesh. You grew hyperaware of the rise and fall of your chest, lungs at work. "Or," The tendril shifted, pressing into your midsection, "The stomach. All I'd have to do is reroute your esophagus directly to your small intense." You thought you were crying, it was hard to tell. Forced to pay attention to Jack's impromptu lesson on horrible shit he could do to you. "Do you want that (Y/n)?" 

Maybe he was a doctor, maybe he went to medical school, maybe he googled _'organs that humans can't live without'._ You didn't think any practicing doctors would just do that because they were mad though. You had not seen a PhD anywhere, as far as you were concerned he wasn't a doctor. He was a nut job.

Giving the right answer this time, you vigorously shook your head as much as you could. Just wanting this to be over. Taking him completely serious. The death threat was spine chilling, but you were needed alive. Jack seemed to have a decent lid on his temper but he seemed incredibly serious. Tired, done with you more than you originally thought. 

Jack came off as someone well composed, in control of his emotions, but right now he was giving you a sneak peak behind the curtain. Finally readjusting, his 'gaze' actually facing you properly. Tendril shifting lower, "If I wanted to I could make a two inch incision in your lower abdomen and pull your small intestine _right now."_ Prodding at your lower stomach for emphasis.

You didn't stop your struggle, unable to in your panic. If you could talk you didn't know if you trusted yourself to not beg for your life. It was kind of a good thing he was choking you in that case. It was also hell on earth, hanging from your neck with very little oxygen being permitted in and out of your airways. 

Another thing that you had figured out about Jack was that he was dramatic. Who dresses like that and isn't? He wasn't done. Pointer finger lifting, it's nail removing itself from your skin only to stretch an inch or so forward. The pad of his finger right where your spinal cord would be. Nail digging into your flesh, dragging itself across the back of your neck agonizingly slow. The show of power wasn't done there. Leaning forward and to the side. Cringing you couldn't look away from his bloodied teeth. Panicked brain thinking that he was about to make good on his earlier comment of tearing your throat out.

He was going to make sure that you listened, flatly growling in your ear, " _I could have you brain dead in seconds._ " Your cringe only deepened as you tried to jerk your head away. The foreign feeling of another person's breath on your ear made it so much worse, hotter than you thought breath could be, feeling like it would burn you if he didn't stop. With your movements, he didn't let up, doing his best to thoroughly scare you into submission, "Then you'd be almost as useless to me as you've been already."

Talking down to you like you were absolutely nothing but the scum on the earth. You were starting to rethink who the most intimating was now. Though the other two yelled and talked a big game, there'd been moments where they'd made complete fools of themselves. Jack however was lazy, and lazy didn't equal incompetent. 

"But," He sighed into your flesh much to your chagrin, the hair of your neck standing on end, "Killing you now would be such a waste of good meat. Personally, I'd rather wait till all of this is over. Then have you as a celebratory meal." That's all you were to these people. A chess piece to be used and something to sink their twisted teeth into. 

In response, the edge of vision fading and feeling lightheaded, you weakly kicked his leg. You couldn't exactly say 'fuck you' but that was you second best option. Huffing, he just brought himself uncomfortably closer. Side eyeing his head, heat radiating off his gray skin, "Stop testing me. I could literally bite your ear off right now."

Wheezing and wiggling, you wouldn't stop struggling as long as you could. Though it proved useless physically, it was telling him that you would not stop. You were just about to piss your fucking pants, but you wouldn't be bullied into submission. You were not something to be used as a puppet. You were a fucking human being. You did have some working brain cells though, you wouldn't get on a soap box and preach to him about how brave you were. Instead, you'd let him believe that it was purely instinctual fighting, that you were too scared to try again, that you'd finally behave. Which honestly, you would for the most part. You still had another option. A crazy, possibly self destructive, last ditch effort. Cease your attempts for now but when you got to see _him_ again, you'd try something else.

Maybe he finally decided he was done with you, pulling his face away from your ear. If you could, you'd breath a sigh of relief. Instead of backing off instantly, he kept his face hovering inches from yours. Blankly staring for a few seconds as your vision continued to falter. He lunged forward with his maw open. You couldn't make out clearly what was inside his mouth. Vision spotty and eyes playing dirty tricks on you, an incomprehensible mass of writhing black.

**_CLACK!_**

You jumped back as much as you could, flinching into the rust. Two rows of canines interlocked less than an inch away from your face. Faking you out with a bite. The fearful reaction seemed to be just enough for him. Finally getting his fill of your suffering, he released your hands. Arms having fallen asleep by now, dropping down to your sides. Throwing you over his shoulder like you were nothing but a bag of flour and he was a cute baker boy. Instead he was a man-eating monster and you just might be on the menu. 

Gasping painfully over and over, focusing your efforts away form struggling to staying conscious. Wrists and neck aching with harsh throbs. You could hardly focus your eyes as you raggedly breathed, blood rushing back to your face. You felt like the worlds most miserable bobble head. Swaying disorientingly side to side. 

The trip didn't last very long. Making out Jane's voice asking something. Natalie barking something. Liu's relief. Rake beeping and blipping. You were moved against your own will. Letting it happen for the moment so you could just gather yourself. Being sat in the same chair you'd been sitting in not twenty minutes before. Immediately hunching over as you steadied your breath. Envisioning Noah's voice in your head, one, two, three, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

You focused on their voices, deciding it was best to stay in the loop. "-t do you mean I can't fucking stab her in the chest?" Natalie growled.

"She's learned her lesson." Jack flatly informed, giving them the same treatment as he gave you. Cryptic and hardly letting any information slip.

"Lemme teach her another!" The woman demanded, "Did you not see what your fucking dog did to my back?" You lifted your head. Seeing Natalie whip around and gut a thumb over her shoulder. The lower part of her jacket had been torn open in three separate slits. Darkly oozing cuts staining the dull fabric.

"He's not a dog." Jack insisted. You glanced to Liu, standing quietly near the entrance. You think it was concern on his face. Worried for your well being while willing to have you around these crazy fuckers in the first place. "I can stitch you up anyways, you're fine." 

The wounded murderer huffed, "Whatever!" She deserved so much worse. You hope whoever she stole the teeth from and killed was watching from beyond the grave. Seeing her get a taste of her own medicine. "Fucker still ripped my jacket."

"Mrrrrrriip." Rake croaked, claws bloody. Gingerly holding the sparkly nightcrawler between his elongated fingers. Observing it with an almost cute interest.

Taking in the damage, Jane looked to you probably with sheer hatred. The feeling was mutual.

"Nat," She opted to listen to Jack, not further punish you, "I can fix your jacket up." The bigger fish to fry with her was to cater to her little murder girlfriend or fuck buddy. Caring about her health and wellness more than was healthy. You supposed they were both equally fucked up, made for each other.

From there it was a bit of back and forth. Jack, Natalie, and Jane taking their leave to take care of things. Leaving Liu as your guard, asking how you were while sitting across from you. Stern but trying to be as comforting as he could. An artificial ally. You croaked out generic responses, wrapped up in an earlier spark of a thought. Your last ditch effort for escape.

If they wanted to use you to kill Jeff then you'd turn the tables. Use your influence to get him to kill _them._


	15. 14 - The Town That Feared Sundown

You think it had been four days since your little encounter with Jack. Quickly jumping from scary but uncaring to absolutely pants-shittingly terrifying. If he was in the room you tried not to move a hair. You may have had a defiant and admittedly very dumb escape idea in mind, but you still had a sense of self preservation. Testing his patience wasn't something you were aiming for. Continuously reminding yourself that you were going to escape, though it may feel degrading it really wasn't. All of this was so you could walk out of this with your organs intact.

Jeff being alive was still a bit of a murky 'maybe' in your mind. You'd seen quite a lot of things you didn't think were possible, him being some sort of zombie wouldn't be the biggest oddity. You'd fully believe it when you saw the man for yourself, looking like a walking corpse but acting like he was alive and unwell.

If you could pace back and forth, get lost in your train of thought much easier, you would. Trying not to stim felt like holding in a terrible sneeze and it was going to drive you nuts. Thinking that if you stimmed one of them would somehow know that you were intensely planning escape or thinking fondly of your real home, your apartment with Noah.

Jeff couldn't do it. Even when he thought you betrayed and wanted to kill him, he couldn't bring himself to kill someone he cared for so deeply. You could only wonder what he meant by having chances to kill you over the years. He could have been watching you, just like Liu had apparently been. Maybe he stood at the edge of your high school gradation. Watched you smile and pose for pictures with your diploma. He could have climbed in your window and watched you sleep peacefully. There was also the possibility that he was just around the corner when you were on awkward dates. Probably cringing as they bombed, some people just not understanding or not wanting to educate themselves like he did. 

It was sad to think about, but circumstances were different now. You could help one another one last time then go your separate ways. He was sick and didn't want to get better. They wanted to put his rein of terror to an end. You did care about other human lives, but he hadn't killed anyone you knew. There was no personal vendetta or moral stakes in it for you. Just bullshit you were forced into. And even though Jeff was a terrible person, a mass murderer, you couldn't imagine being the reason he died. 

If you could convince him that you really weren't with them, that he could help you, then maybe he would. Beat the shit out of some bullies for old times sake but this time to actually save your life. Mutually beneficial. There wouldn't be too much closure honestly. That was the one downside to the whole ordeal. You'd see him alive, know he was out there, know he was still killing because you didn't want to be some kind of martyr. It'd eat you up, hindsight over the years grabbing you by the balls and not letting go. 

You just hoped that he could have another moment of clarity. Jeff was an explosively reactionary person. Just lashing out because he was in pain. He didn't hate you, he couldn't. There was no way.

As you were jostled around the mostly windowless van you realized, this was hell.

Sitting on the firm mattress in the back of the moving vehicle, a murderer on either side of you, Natalie manspreading so far her knee was jutting into your legs. 

You and Liu had 'made up' before the car ride. He said that he was sorry that the transition to a new life would be rough and he understood why you were lashing out. Projecting what he wanted you to feel onto you. Thinking you were the delusional one. Calling himself an ally when he was your greatest enemy. You didn't apologize to him, you didn't owe him anything but he put words in your mouth. Saying that he knew you were sorry. You weren't in the fucking slightest.

Part of you was kind of glad that he and Jane were in the front. Not having to be close to him, not having a 'comforting' firm hand on your shoulder. The two were being civil for once. Under the common goal of getting Jeff fired, talking to one another without insulting each other. It was strictly business up in the front seats. Going over the logistics of the plan. Who would do what, who would say what, what they'd do if x or y happens. Learning from their mistakes last time and doing their best to iron out the kinks. You just hoped that you could poke holes in their seemingly foolproof plan. 

The back of the car was a living nightmare unlike the front. 

Excessive rocking to and fro, building levels of stress and anxiety, trying your best not to touch either one of the people beside you. It was the worst when you were going around corners. Gripping the edge of the mattress and digging your heels into the floor. Inertia forcing you to lean towards one of them, you doing your best not to make the skin crawling contact. On your left was Natalie and on your right was Jack. Both people inches away, Natalie occasionally bumping you with her legs. You level of fear had only grown for both of them that day. Natalie not shitting around by being a killer, Jack threatening to literally rearrange your insides. 

It was weird how Jane had fallen to the bottom of who of the trio you were most afraid of. Though you were certain if you stuck around long enough you'd get to see other sides of her, see behind the mask and find that she was somehow worse than you thought. 

Natalie was still pissed about her jacket even though Jane had sewn the cuts perfectly closed. Blood washed out of her clothes, these people had to have been good at cleaning up blood from their clothes as you barely ever saw stains. Jane's usual dress wasn't stained in the slightest. Jack didn't say anything to the others about the threats he made to you. Probably able to infer a lot from the bruised patches of (s/c) on your neck. Her presence was daunting and his was oppressive. So there you sat, trying to keep yourself together while Natalie made subtle jabs at you. Threats and insults alike. 

The one victory you did have under your belt was some 'trust'. They hadn't tied your wrists together or rolled you up like a worm in Liu's soft sheets. It was them being so confident in their fear factor that you wouldn't try anything. Which was true, but you took it also as a sign of negligence. Of course you'd try something if you got the chance to safely do so. You were a human in a life or death hostage situation, you were desperate.

Your anxiety only grew as time kept on ticking by. The working clock in Natalie's eye socket being an ever present reminder of the events to come. Hyping yourself up in your mind to figure out what the hell you were going to say and do. Staring at your lap as you tried not to fidget too much, Natalie quickly took notice of your spaced out state. "Awww," Her obnoxious coo interrupting a valiant speech about friendship that you were throwing around in your head, "Are you scared?" You blinked at her, of course you would be scared next to two fucking murderers. She continued, "Don't worry, I know you are." The arrogance radiating off of her was painfully irritating, "Just want you to know that I'll protect you from the big bad Jeffy-weffy." The obnoxious proclamation rolled off her tongue as she jammed her knee into your side even more than it already was. You kept your lips sealed, thinking how you weren't the one who'd be needing protection from him.

You didn't exactly know what her deal was. Having a clock in her head was a dead give away that she wasn't mentally sound. Another was that she murdered people for shits and giggles. Liu had called her useless, disposable. She refused to tell you why she was along for the ride in the first place. Maybe she was extra muscle. She could have a personal vendetta with Jeff. It could just be as simple as her following Jane to the ends of the Earth. 

The ride was _long._ A little over ten and a half hours. There were few pit stops. Liu escorting you to gas station bathrooms was your only reprieve. Eating knock off candy he stole with a silent air of fear. The exact brand of your favorite childhood candy wasn't there but he got the next best thing. He somehow remembered, holding onto warm memories still, giving you as stiff smile as he passed you the bag. You tried to chew as unassumingly as possible. Natalie occasionally digging her grubby fingers into the packaging to steal a piece. Nothing was sacred.

Liu told the lot of you loudly once you passed the threshold into the town that you were getting close. Only a few minutes of driving left before you arrived at your destination. Which wasn't actually your final destination, Liu and Jane decided it'd be best to park the car a ways away from where Jeff would show up. Not wanting him to see the van and know what was up.

You were in Corydon, Indiana. Car currently being pulled into a bumpy parking lot. 

Thanks to Liu, he didn't let them keep you cooped up in the back of the van while everyone else got to stretch their legs. The sun was dipping below the horizon already, the air cool and breezy. 

The parking lot was completely abandoned. Littered with weeds growing through cracks in the pavement. The centerpiece was an abandoned building. Windows boarded up and broken, litter strewn about. Faded red lettering reading out ' _Th H t n Cr s y Die'_ Some of the letters having fallen away.

You glanced at a cross leaning on the boarded up front doors. Freshly grown and wilted flowers sitting around it, you think there was Hatsune Miku on a little lighter that leaned on one of the plastic pots. Bright blue paint faded and peeling. A picture frame at the bottom of the little shrine, a teenage boy. Was it just that Jeff was on your mind or did he look eerily similar? Though his hair was darker than Jeff's had been as a teenager, it was that same long messy style. Skin pasty and eye bags prominent. 'Em le' last name completely faded away, lost to time. Dates written on the horizontal line of the cross. He had to be sixteen or seventeen when he died, older than Jeff, probably not secretly alive being a crazy murderer. He'd passed around six or seven years ago but his friends or family still kept the little shrine alive.

_'Taken fr m u too e rly. In l vi g mem ry'_

Either he died here or this place was important to him. Whoever it was, it was a broken down mess now. When Matt and Shelia died, their sons disappearing off the face of the planet, there was a little vigil held for them. Rich and fickle friends gathering at four fresh tombstones. The boys assumed dead rather quickly. Holding candles, a bunch of rich white people singing kumbaya. Televised on the news because of course it was. If anything could be made into a spectacle to make a wealthy person look good, they'd pour out crocodile tears and woeful sentiments.

The group of you were in that parking lot for awhile. A couple hours at least. You didn't really keep track of time. Just sitting side by side with Liu on the concrete steps of the run down diner. Trying to provide reassurance that it'd go better this time. He'd be by your side the whole time and you'd see Jeff together. 

You gave him hollowed out answers, no real weight to them. Just trying to perfect your lines in your head. Maybe he wouldn't hurt Liu, but hopefully he'd give him a good punch in the face for you. Not wanting his help, pissed off that he'd dragged you into this. Back in the day you hated to see them fight, but now you were hoping for it. 

You all climbed back into the car around eleven. You couldn't see very much in the back of the van. Aware of the _tick, tock, t_ _ick, tock,_ of Natalie's eye, it was almost showtime. Jack idly commenting about the town, there was some interesting history here. Natalie then called him a 'fucking big head'. 

Parallel parking scarily good, Liu shut the engine off. As car doors swung open, Jack strapped his mask onto his face, pulling his hood over his head. Exiting the car with you and Natalie in tow. The town around you was quiet, dark, according to Natalie's clock it was one forty-six in the morning. There wasn't really a point in covering up but he did anyway. Perhaps paranoid about his identity in public places.

Still, it was odd. All of them had something distinct about them that was showing even without the covering of masks of clothes. Gray fingers poking out of fingerless gloves, severe burn scars on display and power walking in six inch heels, a clock jammed in an eye socket, a jaggedly forced smile. A bunch of murderous oddities and their plus one. Also an oddity but not a cold blooded killer.

The concrete building's front lights lit the sidewalk. Flashes of the night you were taken resurfacing in your memory. 

"He'll be somewhere in here." Jane pointed out as you all made your way the the sidewalk, stopping at the mouth of an alleyway. 

"How do you know that?" None of them had cleared up anything for you. Only the fact that he'd be in this town on this night. Though you were scared shitless of Jack, you didn't like to be left in the dark.

"I just do." Jane flatly replied, coming to your side and putting a gloved hand on your shoulder. Not willing to let you know more than she felt you deserved. Just something to be guided forward, something to be used. There was a relief when she pulled her hand away. Even though layers of clothing she disgusted you. "Move it." Cold, commanding, shifting into gear. 

Thinking that this time nothing would go wrong. 

The ground of the alleyway was wet with rainwater, it'd lightly drizzled on the ride over. That asphalt post-rain smell that many found calming entering your nose. Except nothing was very calming right about now. Adrenaline already starting to be dispatched into your bloodstream. You needed to swing this your way but you weren't completely sure of Jeff's mental state. He could be volatile. 

Another big factor you thought of while walking down the isle was the police. This was a city, if things got loud or rough people would surely call the police. Though the town gave off a very shady vibe, you were sure someone would call for help. That'd be good for you. Escape in a cop car, snitch them out and go home already. Though it was a dirty thought, you hoped whoever Jeff was killing or chasing was a screamer. 

The alleyway was lit by yellowed lights on the sides of buildings. A way for residents to get to the oddly placed trashcans. Jane led the pack, Liu and you close behind. Jane believed she could lead you to the man of the hour. Though she tracked him to a specific location, the gritty details of his exact location would be a lot harder. That didn't stop her from confidently marching on ahead.

Fine by you. If she ran right into Jeff's knife that'd be fucking fantastic.

Quiet wasn't in the ragtag groups description. Natalie's clock never stopping, Jane's heels sharply clicking, Jack's footsteps booming and shaking the earth. You weren't going to find Jeff. Jeff was going to find you. 

There was a sudden movement from behind. Leather quickly shifting as Jack whipped around. The group collectively paused and turned with the man. Though the girls greatly disliked Jack, they couldn't deny his competence. 

You couldn't see the force that threw the knife from behind Jack. What you could see was his hand shooting up and suddenly catching something. Holding it firmly just above his shoulder, metal glinting in the yellow light.

"You're not very good at this." The man bluntly called the person out. Even if he hadn't caught it, the blade would have uselessly flown over his shoulder. 

"And you're not very good at," That same shrilly annoying voice from that night called out, "Not being a total douche!" You shuffled to the side to peak around Jack to confirm who the person was. Though in your mind you thought you already had a pretty good idea. 

"Correct." At least Jack knew he was a bad person or just weird to be around. 

Though she was a ways away, her distinct style of dress immediately indicated who it was. The over the knee socks, the forearms covered in bracelets, scene queen. Seeing a girl who's back was caved in only a few days prior standing upright with no problems was jarring. She was alive, face still gruesome, eyeshadow still applied in cakey layers.

As the woman formulated a response, Jane asked, "Are you going t-" Jack started power walking toward her, blatantly ignoring Jane. "Good." Jane huffed, probably pretending that he was following her orders. 

"Oh, you wanna go?" The woman laughed while turning around and running away. 

"It appears to me that you're the one who's going." Jack's comment muffled beneath the mask. 

_"Shut up, you over-sized man-whore!"_ The woman called back, continuing her retreat. 

"I'm going to break your spine again." Though the woman was quickly disappearing from view in a dead sprint, Jack had long legs and the fastest power walk you'd ever seen. 

"Not if you can't catch me!" She wouldn't last five minutes you'd bet. 

Either way, she was leading him away from the group. Either in a calculated move with an unseen end goal, or it was just her wanting to annoy him with as little consequence as possible. Knowing he could snap her like a toothpick, so she opted to take him on a wild goose chase. If that was the case she was severely underestimating Jack, you'd been chased by that man. He was unstoppable.

"Let's keep going." Liu suggested, grabbing the hem of your sleeve and gently tugging you forward. 

"Yeah, let's go." Jane redundantly followed up, really clinging to the idea that she was the leader.

"You got it Janey!" You didn't know what was worse, the dread of the incoming encounter in your gut or the fact that Natalie was so tightly wound around Jane's finger.

Without Jacks ground shaking footsteps, the group was a lot quieter. The possibility of actually getting the jump on Jeff was rising. The person, monster, you were most afraid of was gone. Someone who could kick Jeff's ass in a split second if you managed to convince him to be your attack dog. Things were going your way and you hadn't even done anything yet. You were starting to feel better about your chances but you were still keeping a realistic view as much as you could.

" _I'll give you anything you want, just don't hurt my wife!"_ The ragged voice plead in a reverberating echo. Chills traveled down your spine when you heard his laugh again, the rattling cackle that had haunted you for days now. Without even seeing him, you knew that Jeff was alive. 

You didn't know how you felt about that.

On one hand, he probably deserved to die. Being a serial murderer didn't make him very deserving of breathing air. Part of you still couldn't shake the sentiments you had though. A detachment from being very empathetic of his victim's plights made it so you couldn't completely change your view of him. He was alive and you were weirdly glad about it. An old friend once and an escape route now. You hoped he'd be happy to see you too but you knew from experience Jeff could hold a grudge.

Though empathy could be difficult at times, hearing the muffled crying of the person's supposed wife was still upsetting. In pain and undeserving of what she was going to get. 

Jane either had an innate sense for where he'd be or it was a lucky guess of random turns down dimly lit alleyways.

_"Anything?"_ You still couldn't get over his voice. It was so different now. _He_ was so different now.

"Anything!"

The group slowed, the voices coming from the next alley ahead. You were starting to up the ante on your mental coaching, you could do it. Calm down or you'll say something stupid. Breathe in and out.

"Money, cars, you can have my wedding ring! Hell, I even know a guy who sells coke for cheap!" The man rattled things off for his wife's life.

"Wait shit really? Fuck, gimme their address." Jeff sounded half-serious, half-joking. It shouldn't have been a shock to find that he just might be on some hard shit, but it was. The most he ever did was attempt to smoke his Dad's cigars. Always ending up in a terrible coughing fit because his little lungs couldn't take it. 

"Disgusting." Jane lowly commented as she slowed, taking a more cautious approach.

"He's just coping." Liu lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Okay uh, I've got a pen right here for you to write with." The man's wife continued to let out muffled pleas. Was this really what he'd come to? Holding people hostage just to save a few bucks on drugs? 

"Coping?" Jane quietly snapped, "He's going to kill those people, find that dealer, kill them, and steal everything they have. Then he's gonna get unpredictable for two months." 

"Unpredictable?" You asked out of a mild curiosity. 

She let the information slip, "Whenever he goes on a bender I can't track him _for shit."_ Earlier she'd been so collected, something about being near Jeff just set her off. Growing agitated on a dime, wanting to share her frustration.

"Okay so address is one-two-three Clownroad Drive." The man shakily mumbled the dealers location.

"It'll be fine." Liu deadpanned picking up on the clearly fake address.

"Why thank you, anyways-"

"(Y/n), I'm gonna send you in first," He revamped the plan, he let things play out in your favor, "We'll be right around the corner. I know you're scared but it'll go better this time." He send a purposefully piercing gaze at Jane. 

_"Wait, what are you doing?!"_

This time she wouldn't run be behind him and stab him several times. She had learned her lesson. Though she didn't seem too happy about it as the sudden muffled shriek echoed through the air. Clenching her fists and stiffening as something wet slapped onto the asphalt. 

" _But I-"_

**Thud.**

"You didn't think that'd I'd let that stupid bitch live did you?" Jeff cruelly laughed at the man's hope for his mercy. None of you rushed to save him. Approaching slow and quiet, Jane doing her best to not let her heels loudly click against the floor. Shaking _. "Jesus fuck,_ are you a dumbass?!" 

"Please! I'm a father!" He threw another card desperately on the table all while letting out babbling cries for his wife. Probably twitching on the floor of the alleyway dying right before his eyes or already dead.

"Really? Well shit, in that case-" The man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at Jeff's grumbled words.

_"HRRK!"_ He gasped, sputtering out fumbled cries. Shoes scrambling against the filthy floor, trying to get away. A sudden squelching, more garbled whimpers. Shifting fabric, soft pounding, he tried to fight back against his attacker who didn't seem to give a shit.

"Oh man! You look shit in your license picture!" He wheezily laughed as the man continued to try to stay upright. Another sudden and stomach churning wet impact, "Twenty-six Oakwood Avenue, Corydon, Indiana." You could just piece the scene together in your head, Jeff holding the knife inside the man's chest while reading out his address on his license. A formulating theory was confirmed when he continued, "How many kids ya got? Ooh, do you think they're still awake? Shit!" He cackled as disgusted disappointment filled your insides, "They're gonna soooo surprised when mommy and daddy don't come home." 

"Yo-you-" Trembling rage in the victims voice, it was too late for him. Leaving this world with the horrible message that the rest of his family was next. 

"Hey, hey, don't worry about it 'kay? If they're still up runnin' around, jumpin' on the couch n' shit, I'll be sure to put the little fuckers to sleep." Another sickening squelch, this time containing a cracking _crunch._ Jane stopped, processing the destruction of a family. Mother dead on the ground, father falling to the ground with a _thud,_ children next on the chopping block.

For a split second she threw herself forward but she didn't make it very far. Liu's hand on either one of her shoulders. Pulling her back with a stern whisper of, _"Don't."_

Her voice was trembling with something other than pure rage. Choked up, ready to lash out, _"Let go of me."_

Danger practically radiated off of her, the stagnant air suddenly being thick with tension as you all stood still. 

"You can't do this again." Liu attempted to reason with her.

_"Let me go or I'll fucking kill you."_ Something flipped another switch inside of her. Completely throwing the plan out the window, not giving a shit that she could get hurt. All she wanted to was punish the man for what he'd done. Make him _suffer._

"You _need_ to calm down."Liu instructed, which is honestly the worst thing to say to someone when they're upset. Jane stopped her struggle, Liu's arms no longer straining to keep her in place. Breathing a sigh of relief before she whipped around. 

**Thud.**

Almost perfectly synchronized, Jane shoving Liu into a wall with her hands constricting his throat. Absolutely shaking with fury, taking it out on on the only Wood's boy she had access to. 

This was almost perfect. Well, not really. Two people just died and some kids might be next. It was good that your captors were all distracted. One gone, two fighting, another watching in mild shock. You could turn tail and run, find a police station and go home. Sure, the drive back would be a grueling ten hours. Noah coming to pick you up probably. You'd be so traumatized but you'd be intact and free. 

You were sure she'd jump to Jane's aid, be her white knight. Forget about the task at hand and ignore you turning around. Instead, she snatched you by the back of the bomber as Liu delivered a punch to Jane's throat.

"You're not weaseling your fucking way out of this." Natalie growled, angry at the fight breaking out but actually proving herself not be completely stupid. Staying on task while the two traded blows. Knowing Jane would be more impressed with her if she got the job done instead of be the hero she most likely didn't need.

You weren't going to get the easy way out. You had to go through the rough shit. That's fine, you prepared for this. Except you felt your five minute speech on friendship start to slip through your fingers as she dragged you forward. Almost like you hadn't spent all that time trying to think of what to say. No thoughts, head empty. All you had was things to say on the fly. 

Remembering Liu's words, Natalie wasn't going to walk out there with you. Instead coming to crux of the corner and shoving you around it.

He was on his back, pretty much at your feet. Eyes still open and a look of hateful realization frozen on his face. Slits of bleeding red on his bulbous belly. Upper chest not spared either, stabbed over and over. His wife wasn't far away, crumpled over on her side. Throat sliced all the way open, a still growing puddle of red beneath her form. Two strangers, two parents, dying with no closure. You hoped that you weren't next. 

There was just something so visceral about seeing dead bodies. You were becoming quite seasoned with the topic, but it still rattled you. Once moving and talking, now nothing but meat. You cringed as you thought of Jack pulling the thin tendons from the finger. 

His back was to you, bloody knife at his side swinging idly as he started to walk away. Holding up the license and further observing it with wheezy laughter. Long stringy hair shifting behind him, you were still reeling at the fact that he looked like that. You were surprised he was already walking away. Didn't he hear your and Natalie's loud approach? She wasn't one for subtly.

Jeff whipped around, the metal flying from his fingertips before he even registered who he was exactly looking at. You ducked with a yelp, hands flying up to cover your face. There was a sharp _whoosh_ right above your ear, strands of (h/l) hair chopped right off. Metal clattering against the brick wall behind you. Peaking out of your fingers you were face to face with him once more.

Lowering your hands, revealing yourself.

"Hey?" You quietly greeted, accompanying the shaky word with an awkward wave. Seeing that warped skin, that bald spot, eyes wide and unblinking, for the second time you felt your heart stop. How did that little boy become this?

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

"(Y/n)." In his initial shock he didn't growl out threats. Voice on the cusp of turning soft once more. But he didn't forget what happened only days prior, "Come here with you new fuck-buddies?" He accused, showing the license into his hoodie pocket. 

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

"No!" You may not have the perfect words picked out but you could try, "I don't want to hurt you!"

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

With a sense of overfamiliarty, he spat accusingly, _"_ Then why do I hear fucking hear _Cockwork?"_ at least he was unarmed.

The jig was up. Natalie rounding the corner and standing behind you. Once actually trying to get the job done right, but now going against that. When you glanced to the woman you saw the snarl on her lips. _Hateful._ Able to restrain herself for Jane's sake for only so long.

"Because I came here with your little fucking _girlfriend_." What was with these two and throwing romantic assumptions every which way?

"Tch," Jeff huffed, _"Whatever."_ Rolling it off his shoulders. You desperately scrambled for a way to make this work in your favor. "I'm going to rip your head in half with my bare fucking hands."

Directed at her or you, you couldn't tell, just blabbering out the plea as rationally as you could, "Jeff wait!" He took a step forward, "I know you're hurt and I'm sorry! But I don't want to do this. I'm serious I don't want to help them kill you!" Pasting different thoughts together in a semi-cohesive mishmash. 

He didn't stop, "But you're with this incompetent dumbass," Pointedly jutting his head at her, "Fucking lapdog for whatshername."

_"Her name is Jane."_ Natalie growled, the woman in question grunting and growling. Struggling against Liu in order to impale Jeff on the end of her blade. Their mission quickly fell into disarray of their own doing, dysfunctionality working amazingly in your favor.

Rolling his fucked up eyes, still approaching in a lazy gait, he spoke, "Jane-shamne, I don't fucking care what her name is. All I know is that bitch is annoying." You ignored the comment directed at the woman, mostly paying attention to how he moved. He wasn't hurt, he could have ran at you, crushed your skull against the wall already and not give a shit about anything Natalie would do to him. Maybe he still wasn't ready to hurt you, hyping himself up while maintaining the image of levelheadedness. Natalie didn't seem to take to kindly to the comment, but she still held onto the mission by a few threads. Not completely kicking shit into overdrive because she'd rather play the long game even if it sucked. 

You needed to get Jeff more on your side and Natalie incapacitated, "She roped me into this! I need your help Jeff!" It was sincere from the heart, you really needed to get out of here. Asking your would be attacker to spare your life and kill another. 

He stopped, mouth parted and showing off his yellowed teeth. The same clarity you'd heard momentarily days before in his voice as he asked, "You need me?"

"Yes!" You insisted, guesting with your hands, pleading. Please work.

Eyes locked, two best friends reunited. He was still an angry fuck up and you were still a bit a doormat. He knew you. He'd helped you with peer pressure to conform to 'normalcy' as kids. Now you needed him to do something similar with much more violence. A deep connection between you two. It was weak. Years rotting it down, Jane's knife in his back cutting away at the layers.

His brow bones down turned, the cold edge returning to his voice but the softness didn't disappear, _"I'm not your hero anymore."_

The statement made your heart clench in a way you wouldn't expect after a decade, but you continued, "But you could be!" You just needed him to get a good stab on Natalie, she deserved it, you told yourself. Continuing to plead for the help of someone who just orphaned children. "One last time pl-"

"Fuck (Y/n)." Natalie interrupted the conversation, catching onto what you were doing. Not telling him about a better future, not spurring him on to get fired, trying to escape. She wasn't going to let that happen, so she threw a wrench in your plans in the form of obnoxious lies, "You're a good actress, huh?"

In a confused unison, you and Jeff asked, "What?"

Turning to her, a mean smile on her lips. Cutting off your hope, insulting the man she seemed to hate. There was a familiarity between them. Maybe old friends? Acquaintances? Maybe Natalie was just mad on Jane's behalf. 

"She thinks you're ugly." Natalie boldly proclaimed, like that wasn't obvious. Jeff looked like shit but it wasn't about how he looked. It was about what he could do for you. 

He scoffed, continuing his walk. she rocked the boat too much, Jeff was fragile a lot more than he ever cared to admit. He wasn't stupid though, "I wasn't fucking born yesterday." Still, the suggestion, validating the idea in his head that you disliked him, spurred him forward.

This was all going downhill. She wouldn't let you escape at the cost of possibly having the plan backfire again. There was something more than spite for you though, she hated him too. She wanted to fight him. 

Thing was, you were caught in the middle, the filling of a murder sandwich.

"She's never gonna fuck you, dude!" From calling you his girlfriend to implying something like that. You never really thought about that with him. There was a moment of awkward eye contact after she said it. Probably thinking the same _'what the fuck'_ as you. "She thinks you're better off dead!" Shoving words in your mouth. Words that only validated the idea within him that you were willingly against him. That you hated him.

"And I think you're better off without your fucking teeth!" He surged forward, fucked up hands curled into fists. This was not going according to _anyone's_ plan.


	16. 15 - Hurt People, Hurt People

_"(Y/n) wait!" Jeff called after you, jogging to catch up with your power walk. Hands and butt stinging and scraped from being roughly shoved into the driveway. The pain was hardly anything but a sting that'd disappear in a few minutes. You were more so upset about using physical force against you whist calling you 'stupid as fuck'._

_He came out of his house today with his hair slicked all the way back. Looking like his sleazy father but much younger and with longer hair. It made his usually thick locks look thin and greasy. Having some sort of cologne or body spray or something on that made him smell like a wet dog, you had to actively prevent your nose from scrunching in disgust. You don't know why he put in the effort to look and smell weird so when he asked you with a smile how he looked. You were bluntly honest._

_"Well, you smell bad and you look funny." You told him and then he get all upset with you. He asked for honesty, you didn't really think of sparing his feelings with a lie. That wasn't right. It was best to learn from mistakes whenever possible._

_You just needed some time for yourself. You didn't really get what was wrong with what you said or why he was so angry. If he was going to be like that you weren't going to stick around. At least for now, you both never were able to drift apart. You just needed a moment to figure yourself out._

_"Wait!"_ _It was tough feeling like such an outcast sometimes. You knew that 'normal' people didn_ ' _t stim as often or obviously as you. 'Normal' people had a better grasp of unspoken social rules. Reading between the lines like it wasn't even shit. You on the other hand, struggled with that sort of thing. It was always after you said or did something that wasn't considered within the social norm that you felt shitty. Like a black sheep. Your peers just stared and the general public thought that autism was a disease. It just sucked whenever you did something 'wrong'. Using every little social interaction to perfect a mask of 'normalcy' in order to blend in._

_"Not right now Jeff." You mumbled as he continued to chase after you. Mind mulling over your mistake, how you were a fuck up and insensitive even though you literally weren't wired like others were._

_"I'm sorry I was such a little bitch!" You paused, turning your head with an air of confusion. He rarely ever apologized, usually leaving you to ruminate on it. He left things unsaid, cracks in the foundation of your friendship. Before another could form, he patched it up the best he was able, "I just think that you're cool!" He slowed his jog to a walk, "And I want you to think I'm rad as shit. Sorry."_

_"I'm sorry that I upset you." You were quick to jump on the sorry train. Honestly, fighting or being upset with people was confusing territory. You'd rather just make up but you weren't going to say sorry if wasn't at least a little deserved. Taking his advice of not being as much of a pushover. "But you can't just push me like that." You may have not been the most socially prestigious but you knew damn well that taking anger out on someone like that was shitty._

_"Shit, fuck, yeah I was being a lil bitch. I uh," He paused to try to formulate a meaningful sentiment in his thirteen year old brain, "Won't ever hit you 'n shit again."_

_"Okay." Cut and dry just like that. These sorts of things didn't always have to end with you sitting in your room wallowing in confusion and trying to figure out how to make it better. Making up mutually was also an option. You liked this option better._

_"So, are we cool?" He fidgeted with the strings of his hoodie, the white one you stole for him._

_He owned up to his shitty behavior so to you it was obvious, "Yeah, we're all good."_

**\----**

She threw herself in front of you, knives out and ready for action. The two on a collision course. Getting closer and closer to colliding as they just ran at one another like wild animals. Jesus.

Jeff was without a blade, aimlessly throwing it your way. Natalie was fucking duel wielding and you were just observing. Looking for an opportunity to get the hell out of there without getting caught by any one of them. When the two finally collided a few feet in front of you, Natalie was almost instantly thrown to the ground under Jeff's weight. The back of her head smashing into the asphalt, forced to lay back. That didn't mean she was defenseless though. 

Hunched over her body, a gurgling wheeze escaped through his punctured lungs, a trickle of blood leaking out of his lips and a crude chuckle leaving Natalie's. Two blades on the same side of chest, two deep punctures into the same organ. He was still upright, breathing painfully with metal forced into his body, ignoring shock while blood filled his lungs. 

This was it. Cut and dry. You could just run past them both. Jeff too busy slamming a fist into the side of Natalie's laughing face to want to go after you. If he even really did want to kill you. Jack was gone, Jane and Liu were audibly struggling against one another, Natalie and Jeff were preoccupied. So why didn't you just go? Take the shot that you wanted to take? Why were you frozen for the millionth fucking time?

There was just something about being around him, seeing him, that a strange affect on you. Akin to Jane, but with less viscerally blinding hate. It was just muddled and confused feelings, your plans a metronome of uncertainty. There was an off the rails train of thought that couldn't let go of the idea of saving him, but that was irrationality. Trying to dismiss the thought as you watched him cough up a mist of blood in the woman's face. Grubby hands grabbing at her as she struggled against him. 

He gripped at her face, fingers digging into the side of her head as his other hand pinched at the bulge in her socket. _"Don't you goddamn dare!"_ She raggedly screeched, writhing and kicking under him. Snatching his wrist as he shifted his fingers.

"Oh, I fucking dare." Pulling back her irritated eyelids and further exposing the ticking clock. Even though she was yanking a knife out his chest, he still kept going. He just kept on raggedly laughing and coughing, further forcing her eye open. It looked painful how far he stretched her skin back. The insides of her eyelids were a dull pink, the rim on the clock was a faded silver. No sheen to it, just crusted up bodily fluids that you couldn't really identify. 

Panicked, she tried to jerk her head about, gnashing her teeth at him, _"Motherfucker!"_ There was a horribly terrified edge to her voice being under him, feeling powerless while his filthy fingers gripped the edges of the clock. 

It was weird to say the least. Focusing on his face so different from before. Smiling inhumanly wide thanks to his slit cheeks, eyes literally budging out of their sockets, his own blood on his teeth. Losing his shit, cackling, he was enjoying this.

Enjoying hurting her, it reminded you of Nickolas. That old bully from way back when, beating someone who he saw as weaker down. Probably to feel better about his own shitty life, but you could never confirm that with the guy as he died years ago. He hated Nickolas with a fucking passion after their little spat, hating everything he stood for. Abusing what power he had as an asshole high schooler. Now he was doing the same thing. But what if he wasn't, what if he was trying to help you? Could there still be a shred of that well intentioned, but ultimately rude, kid in there? 

All it took was one powerful yank to tear the disk from her head. Releasing her eyelid, skin not quite returning to it's original place. Pink tinged, her eyelid sagging without anything behind it. Empty.

Bringing the crusty clock up to his face, "One fifty-nine." He read the time idly while pulling the second knife from his chest with a shaking hand. Releasing the clock from his gnarled fingers and letting it fall to the filthy floor with a dull _tink_. Coughing up a particularly nasty spray of blood, intentionally hacking it up in her face. The words were a guttural rumble, he sounded worse than before "Looks to me like," He involuntarily jerked as Natalie fully pulled the serrated knife out of his chest, him raising her own knife against her, "It's time for you to d- _BITCH!"_

Why couldn't you just go? Why were you so enamored with him? 

There was a weird nostalgia that came with him getting hurt. But instead of a punch to face from some shithead teenager, it was a knife in his face. Jammed into the side of his cheek, slicing though the thin wall of scarred flesh. The blade between his teeth, grazing his unclean tongue. Vengefully, she sawed though the rest of his cheek in an instant. Other hand smashing a fist into his Adam's apple. " _It's 'your time is up' you chode!"_

He reeled back with a pissed off grunt, releasing her face in a moment of pain, which he could feel but seemed to try not to give a shit about. This was more personal than a stab to the chest, this was her going after the centerpiece of his fucked up face. Making his mouth hang lopsidedly open, tendons severed and even more blood spilling into his mouth. Coughing harder than before, he just kept on getting redder and redder. Going downhill, getting worse. Natalie opportunistically shoved him off of her and scrambled back. Not forgetting the still ticking clock on the floor, picking it up with a shaking hand, jumping to her feet while Jeff was struggling to get up. A hand blindly inspecting the damage, feeling along the edges of the rugged cut. Wheezing like a smoker of fifty years with a hole in their neck and destroyed voice box.

Slurred out, barely intelligible but he persevered the best he could with one cheek to help carry out the message, "Phucchking wwhhore!"

Go. Just go. They were going to collide again in a second. Once you got your second chance you'd take and run. You wouldn't admit it aloud at the moment, but he scared you. Seeing him shake like that, bleed all over himself and cruelly force pain onto another person right before your eyes. It wasn't more innocent 'protecting' you from a bully. It was something entirely different that left a bitter taste on your tongue. You didn't want to chance running past him if he wasn't engaging someone. You were scared that he'd do that to you too deep down. You trusted the Jeff who cared about you and understood you, but this was a deranged grown man. One who you didn't know if you could trust. You wanted to think that he was trying to be your hero without saying it, but you couldn't help but compare him to a feral animal. Attacking the first thing he came into contact with and if Natalie didn't take him head on, you'd probably be on the floor shaking. Shock taking over you system while you started to grow cold and distant. 

Vaguely aware of their presence, trading verbal blows back and forth while sizing one another up. "I know what you are but what am I!" 

"I just phuuuhking phaid eet. Yooouh're aah wwwwhhore."

You didn't want to see it. Him getting fucked up, anyone getting fucked up honestly. That was some sick shit that you didn't quite enjoy. Even if Natalie was an objectively terrible person, violence really didn't correct that. There wasn't as much satisfaction there, it was muddied and dulled. This place was a brick maze full of dangerous obstacles. You'd lost track of scene queen and Jack already, you could still hear Jane and Liu duking it out in the other alleyway, Natalie and Jeff were about to trade blows again. Honestly, you'd rather run past Liu and Jane than see Jeff like this any longer, face hanging as blood cascaded down his body, a smile still on his fucked up face. It was rattling and you could hardly place or categorize your feelings. You were well aware of the risk and honestly weren't sure if you'd take it. You were all over the place. Completely indecisive, screaming at yourself to pick a choice and go with it.

"At least I can get some pussy!" She was winded, taking a few punches to the face and being knocked around, but she still had it in her to dish out shitty comebacks.

Wait and run. Run now. Look for another escape, which there didn't really seem to be any. Try running past Liu and Jane.

Pick one. _Pick one. PICK ONE!_

Moving without a plan, or really looking where you were going for the matter, you almost instantly bumped into her back. Classic.

"You." Eyes snapping up from your shoes and to her face. The close proximity allowing you to get a disgustingly good look at her empty eye. Lids stretched from being forced to accommodate an entire clock, now without they hung downward. Almost looking like lightning in her skin, light stretchmarks of which you'd never really noticed. How long had she been keeping it in there? More importantly, did she change it's battery every once in awhile to keep it ticking? If she did, was it for the aesthetic and scare factor or was the sound something she felt she needed to constantly hear reverberating through her skull?

"Me?" You asked stupidly, pausing your forward advance only to take a step back.

Shoving the grossly warm clock into your hand, she demanded, "Hold this." 

"Uh," You stared at the device for a moment, it was odd to see it in it's entirety, "Okay?" It was grubby, _tick tocking_ in your palm, nasty. Also it was dumb of her to give it to you when you were clearly looking to skedaddle.

"Come'ere." With her hand free, she yanked you forward. Words grunted out as she slung you onto her back like a rag doll. Hunching over with the new found weight she draped over her shoulders, you. Wearing you like a catoonish rich woman wore a boa scarf. "If you drop my eye I'll fucking stab you."

You weren't really expecting this today. But you weren't going to stop trying to wiggle off of her either. Trying to swing you legs back but she counteracted that by putting her free arm behind your knees and forcing them to bend her way. "Not letting ya get outta this."

Ahead of both of you was Jeff, taking a peaceful moment to himself to violently hack up his own blood. Leaning on the wall, still scarily upright even with his wounds. From having his guts severed and back caved in, nothing seemed to completely knock the wind out of him. Nothing like you at least. Working eye locked onto you, observing every little reaction he could. With half of his face slacked downward you couldn't really tell what he was expressing. Heaving and mumbling things to himself. "Geeehet it the pphuck togphether."

You couldn't stand the sight. Leaning back, trying to use your body weight against Natalie as Jeff took a clumsy step forward. Then another and another. Almost instantly shaking off the rust, making his way to the both of you while acting like he wasn't just stabbed twice in the same lung. The shift in weight forced the woman to stumble back a few steps while he came ever closer, throwing off her balance while she didn't let go of you in the slightest. "If you don't wanna fucking die, don't do whatever the fuck you're doing!" 

You weren't making any progress in escaping. All you were doing was possibly screwing yourself over, if she went down or didn't have the balance she expected to defend you and maneuver, you just might get stabbed by Jeff. For your own safety, you leaned back into Natalie, laying on your side across her shoulders and feeling fucking ridiculous. This is what you got for being indecisive. Now you were forced to be a part of a knife fight. 

Coming closer, speeding up, knife raised, building eye of bloodshot blue directed right at you, "Phhanks for mmmakin' eet easier for mme, phhucking dyke."

Somehow able to translate the slurred jabbering in her head, she brandished the blade and retorted, "Well, this fucking dyke's got your girlfriend." There they do again with the back and forth. Could Jeff get no pussy or not? 

"I am nobody's girlfriend." You clarified, it wasn't really the time to clear up petty things like this but god, you couldn't stand the back and forth. So, you'd stop it yourself. One less shitty thing going on though it didn't make much of a difference.

Her shoulders bounced as she cackled, "Thought so, this ugly fuck can't get any if his life depended on it." She hadn't started to sprint at him, going on the defensive and opting to stay mostly still. Did you know about knife fighting with another person on your shoulders? No, not really. However, you weren't sure that standing still was the best option. It'd be very cool of her to decide and run away. Let you go in the process and leave you alone forever.

"I'm a pphucking sephex maphine." Jeff proclaimed. You took a moment to process and translate what he was saying and you didn't think you liked that. 

"Tch, yeah sure." While you tried to figure out if that was a joke or not, clutching onto Natalie's 'eye', you braced yourself for possibly getting stabbed. Jeff making it quite obvious that he was immediately gunning for you. "Anyway-" He was almost on top of the both of you.

Things didn't go down the way that you expected them too. 

Thinking that maybe Natalie would jump out of the way completely, any attacks completely missing. Maybe he'd go to stab her last second. Or he could have stabbed you but instead he decided to blindside her. 

She did _try_ to move out of the way. Knife held in his left hand so she jumped to the right, expecting a swing but she just jumped right where he wanted her. Leg catching the backs of her knees, the woman falling backwards with a surprised yelp. As kids he couldn't fight for shit. If Jeff got a weak punch in it was a miracle; but now he just took Natalie, buff and nimble, down with a calculated blow. He was a lot better at fighting now. If you weren't falling through the air, bracing for impact and stomach dropping, you'd have a lot more mental capacity to be proud of his growth.

**Thud.**

Natalie wasn't really a giant, the fall was only a few feet. That didn't mean that it wasn't painful. A sudden explosion of sharp pain reverberating through your back, scalp digging into the asphalt. At least her head was cushioned by your stomach, but still, that didn't mean much when the both of you were on the floor with Jeff above you. 

You weren't going to freeze again. Pushing yourself up with your palms, rolling out from under Natalie's head, clock still in hand. Clutching the thing for dear life, something to squeeze and hold, take your fear out on. Picking yourself up in no time, fight or flight working for once. Looking where you were going, having to head back towards Liu and Jane, over the two dead bodies. Right now you'd prefer Jane punching your lights out again to being stabbed to death in a musty alleyway.

Heart thumping in your ears, terrified of him. Terrified of the fact that you heard Natalie forcibly cough, looking over your shoulder to find him stepping on her chest and coming at you. This time for real. Natalie out of the way and to be dealt with later, you were the hotter topic. The one he wanted dead the most. 

Jeff always was a faster runner than you. On you in a second, you'd hardly even started your run and he was already close enough to be breathing down your neck. Flashes of memory, being seven in his front yard playing tag. He'd get you quick then he'd sprint away laughing. Liu always took pity on you and let him tag him to go get Jeff. This didn't feel like that anymore, mildly unfair but ultimately fun. This was more like being chased by a dog with rabies. Bubbles of foaming blood coming out of his mouth and cheek, breathing labored and ragged. 

If he could take down Natalie, disregarding his stab wounds enough to run at you, then all you really had were your words. 

He had them too, sounding almost incomprehensible, trying to enunciate the best he could, remembering that sometimes audio processing could be difficult for you. "Yoouh hhate mme dohn't youh?" Pointed, sharply accusatory.

Always the reactionary type. Act first, questions later. His first instinct was to push things away when they hurt him. Sometimes you, Liu, definitely his parents, the kids at school. It was the only way he knew that worked to get most people to leave him alone. Forced to be with them or not, you were still something he didn't want around. He was going to kill you because he associated shitty people and pain with your presence. The feelings of hate and yearning mixing dangerously.

"No!" Yelling, straining your vocal cords, desperate not to die, "I still care about you!"

"Friends don't phucking ruuhn ahway from eachother!" When playing tag they do, when one chases the other with a bloody knife they do. You couldn't tell between him trying to make a point or him trying to guilt trip you into giving in. Stopping would make it all the more easy for him to stab you. Though he could have already, multiple times. Hesitating. Hearing you out.

It was plain and simple, "You're scaring me!" A foot landing in the puddle of the dead woman's blood. Throat open so deep you could make out a hint of her vertebrae. He did this, he killed people, he was bad, you were reasonably scared. There was no dancing around it or talking yourself down, it was human nature. 

_"Good."_

He didn't hesitate anymore. It was the nature of a predator to kill prey even if it screamed and cry. In fact, this predator in question loved a screamer.

Grabbing you by the top of your head, yanking you back with a fistful of (h/c) hair. Stopping your mutual run, forcing you to bump back into his chest. Wet and warm with his own bodily fluids, greasy hair falling onto your shoulders. You got a flash of the knife in your peripherals. Your hands flying in front of you to feebly defend yourself but you weren't stupid. You knew it was over. The blade behind forced downward, coming straight for your stomach.

" _You're nothing."_

Dead at twenty-three, never fell in love, never got to say proper goodbyes to friends and family, killed by someone you once called a friend.

It was purely instinctual to scream, voice cracking and desperate, _"NO JEFF, PLEASE!"_

_**Clatter.**_

It was gone. The blur of hot red and tinges of silver. Falling from his hand as he stiffened up behind you. The labored rasps stopped, not breathing, not moving. Hand open, hovering halfway down your form, about to do it, about to stab you.

He couldn't.

When it came down to it, there still something there for him. The last remaining tethers of your friendship holding on to him and keeping him grounded in what little humanity he had left.

The two of you didn't move, didn't breathe. His hand still harshly gripping your hair. The clock still ticking down time, without it you were sure it would have stopped. It never did stop, it felt like it did at times, but it was a constant. A human construct that hung over peoples heads. At some point everyone's time would be up. For the parents, their time was up a few minutes ago but tonight wasn't your time or his. 

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

Not even when you felt him jerk with the force. Wet heat spurting into your hair. His grip loosening, gargling and groaning but no words could come out. You didn't want to turn around when you felt him left go after a few seconds of not wanting to take his grubby hand away from your hair. Separating from you when he finally fell.

**Thud.**

_"Choke on it, fucker."_ Natalie croaked as you stared ahead.

You didn't want to look at him. You couldn't take another moment like the one before he was thrown into the tree. Looking at you with hatred, betrayal when it wasn't your fault. Why did you care so much about an atrocious man's opinion of you? Why couldn't take it? As a person you should see him in black and white, no gray, no in between, no indecision. It should be a simple judgement of hatred for all that he'd done but you couldn't let go and you didn't know why.

Looking to the woman, throat slit wide open, dead and gone. You knew that was what she did to him, but he wouldn't be given the reprieve of death. The punishment of hell itself. 

She rounded the corner looking worse for wear. Knee's scraped and dribbles of dark red traveling down her shins. Hair disheveled, white mask scuffed and dirty, the knuckles of her velvety gloves wet with a color that didn't show up too well in black. There was one part of her that did catch you off guard. The thin black film over her mask's right eye hole had been knocked away in the struggle. Getting your first peak at her face, a single light brown eye. Almond shaped, long lashes, eye bags deeper than yours had ever been, even as college student. Just barely, you could see skin distorted near the lower part of her eye hole. Pinkish and uneven. Half-lidded, focused on the man behind you. If looks could kill he would be deader than a doornail.

All the slamming and angry growling from the alleyway indicated things got heated quickly. Liu trying to restrain her from ruining the mission, but it already was ruined. You didn't hear Liu struggling anymore. You guessed she won the fight or worse. Either way, it was a little too late because Jeff was 'dying' on the asphalt behind you. 

_"Pathetic."_

Brushing past you, going to kick the man while he was down. More like stomp.

_Crunch._

Cringing at the sound, hands coming up to cover your ears, you hoped that he'd past out already. He'd kept conscious through much worse though. You didn't have to see it to know.

_CRUNCH!_

He was looking at you. Working eye boring into the back of your bloody head. In pain, looking at something he couldn't kill, something he couldn't conquer. A living breathing representation of his failure. Jeff always hated failing. 

**CRUNCH!**

Something flew against the back of your exposed legs. Hot chunks.

You didn't get to see that gaze again by willful choice. Shuddering, clock ticking in your hand, pressing your palms harder into your ears. Only making the _tick tocking_ louder, it'd only be a matter of time til you saw him again. If your words had reached him and sunken through his thick skull or not had yet to be seen. You knew kid Jeff, but you didn't know adult Jeff. Parts of them overlapping disgustingly. Yet there were differences. Being a lot more intense, angry, vulgar, willing to lash out with violence easier. There was no certainty with him: vapid, volatile, very fucked up.

Muffled breathing, heavy and deep. Jane. Not done yet.

_**CRUNCH!**_

It happened again. The splattering. The warmth of Jeff's insides. That horrible cracking, the grunts of effort from Jane, Natalie's tired dazed laughter. 

The next stomp was less of a cracking sound and more a squelch, like mac and cheese being aggressively stirred. Over and over, getting more of it on you. You didn't want to confirm if it was brain matter or not. Natalie didn't stop the woman getting her fill of stomping on him. You just stared ahead. The knife he threw at you dully glinting on the ground. Lying in wait to be picked up and used by him once more.

You felt yourself move forward. Avoiding the pools of blood and the still bodies as best you could. You'd been splattered with enough bodily fluids tonight. Tuning them out, bending down and grabbing it by it's rough metal grip. Standing by up and observing it, a strand of (h/c) hair stuck in one of the teeth. As well as bits of pinkish flesh from the strangers. Slathered in dark red. You hadn't held something of his in a long time. Throwing those old playboys away years ago. The Polaroids. The birthday presents. Everything. 

It fit a bit awkwardly in your hand. Probably not holding it right like when he introduced you to Xbox. Trying to teach you how to play Doom while laughing at the awkward way you held the controller. You'd bet any money you were holding it wrong. Though the blade was responsible for death after death, you couldn't help but find it surreal. This was Jeff's.

It was snatched from your hand by a black glove. You stiffly turned to her, Jane. Knife in one hand, license in the other. She was't going to let him get to those kids. 

"Let's go." Flat, tired, not satisfied. 

You sounded the same: voice seeming far away, distant, "What about Jeff?"

"He'll get up like he always does. Then we'll do this again." Rinse and repeat, try to escape and fail, have to face him over and over. Suffer without deserving it. You didn't know what to say to that but she had more to tack on, "You did good." It didn't feel like a compliment, you felt your stomach churn with disgust, with regret.

"How?" You preferred if people were straightforward with you. 

"I think I know what we need to do next." You led her to an epiphany. Leading her closer to her goal, showing her the cracks in foundation. She didn't further indulge you, able to read the mood that you were completely fried. She turned to Natalie, "Can you pick up Liu? Jack should be waiting at the car by now." You still weren't sure of what she did to him. You didn't know if you wanted to. Everything in your life felt uncertain. 

"Sure," She jogged up behind you, tapping you on the shoulder, "Ay, still got my eye?" You looked at the ticking clock, time kept on moving, nodding. "Sick. Hold on to it for me for a bit longer, gotta hold the twink."

They didn't need to grab you to make you follow. You had no idea where you were, covered in chunks of god knows what, mentally drained, knowing you wouldn't get very far on your own. You marched on behind them as the clock ticked between your numb fingers. 

Change was on the horizon and you couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad thing.


	17. 16 - Tired Of It

Tired didn't even begin to describe how you felt. There were other things such as: bad, cranky, irritated, and hot garbage. To be more accurate, cold garbage. The shower you'd taken, aggressively scrubbing your shins raw of the crusty bits and pieces of Jeff, was freezing. Even though you'd put on a different outfit, a big t-shirt with questionable stains and grubby jeans, probably Natalie's if you were honest, you still were cold as hell. Getting chills whenever you thought about Jeff, no heating in the mall on a cool morning, the wet and lazily washed bomber wrapped around your waist. 

The ride back was the same grueling ten hours. Sitting in the back with Liu and Jack. Liu was mostly knocked out for the ride, either straight up unconscious or just sleeping. You were jealous, you couldn't sleep a wink. You weren't envious of his few moments of lucidity though, mostly spent vomiting on Jack's jacket. Not much was in his stomach, but it was still gross to have to sit next to the pungent smell of bile for hours. Jack didn't seem too happy about it either, loudly sighing and patting his back so he could just get it all out. 

No pit stops, all of you were soaked in blood in some way. At least you had the rest of the candy to nibble on while having a mental freak out internally. You tried to sleep, but you weren't like Natalie or Liu. Natalie slept like a baby the entire time. Jane was driving and would grumble out quiet curses whenever she hit any sort of traffic. 

The woman in question fucked Liu up pretty good. A nasty black eye, blood vessels probably popped, a fat welt on his left cheek, his stomach was bruised pretty bad. You got to see that because of the way he kept on holding his stomach. Jack lifting his shirt to see what was going on, apparently Jane just decided to go ape-shit on him. No wonder he was vomiting whenever he gained a shred of lucidity.

The two wailed on one another, but at least they knew not to escalate things. Liu didn't pull his gun on her because he had self control. Killing or grievously wounding an ally would be bad for morale. You had to wonder if under the mask Jane was fucked up. Either from scars or bruises from Liu punching the porcelain into her skin.

Natalie had to wait until getting back to the mall to pop her 'eye' back in. Jack took it from you upon returning to the car, knowing that she'd want to immediately put it back in her socket when it was dirty. The thing already wasn't the cleanest. As a self proclaimed health professional he said that it'd be best to wait and clean it at 'home'. She was grumpy about it but trying to get it away from Jack, who held it over his head, was a waste of energy. 

Jack had objectively the easiest night out of all of you. Briefly summarizing to Jane about being given a decent run around by scene queen. Apparently she was good in chase, very lithe and slippery. He still caught her though. Picking her up and breaking her back over his knee like a twig. Then throwing her in a dumper and heading to the car. 

No one was in a great mood.

Natalie seemed to be in the best mood with her eye back in. Still, she was pissy after Jeff took her down. Even with the victory of slashing him open and watching Jane stomp on him. Slighted by him in more ways than you knew. 

Almost everyone was sitting in the food court. Jack has excused himself to take a shower of his own and clean his trench coat. Jane had yet to explain what she meant, probably waiting for everyone to be awake and somewhat well to hear it. All of you waiting for the big guy to finally return before getting into it. 

When Liu woke up for good, he was on you in a second. Arms around you in a tender hug that you did not reciprocate. Sitting there stiff, over it the instant it started. When you first saw him alive you were relieved and happy, willing to hug him but now that the script was flipped you didn't want it.

Cold, upfront, ridged, "Liu get off of me."

Following the lesson that Jeff set up for you, the one you followed on your own though the years without him. Have a backbone. He'd be proud of you. The old him at least. It was stupid to think. You shouldn't be thinking about his approval. He fucked up your teen years with what he did. Abandoning you, getting people up your ass, knowing him is the whole reason you're in this mess. Knowing him still shaped you as a person. Being there in your early developmental years, then fucking off and leaving you to deal with the repercussions. Leaving you to develop thicker skin.

Patting your back, he spoke warmly, "Ezekiel," Pulling away from you at long last, "Good to see you again." He said with a smile and a soft look in his eyes.

You didn't say anything to that. Just making a note to refer to him by the name he corrected you with. Scooting away from him on the plastic bench. Liu was why you were here, you didn't know where Ezekiel feel into the equation, but you'd take the careful route and assume that he was also a opportunistic rat. 

Plain and simple. Admittedly, you were still quite pissy so who knows for sure.

Jack finally returned, without the trench coat this time. It was weird to see him without it, but that didn't mean he wasn't wearing something mildly dramatic. Leather pants, _of course_ he wore leather pants. You never really got a good look at his lower legs, you didn't know his boots went so high. Who made boots for someone that big? They had to be expensive, platform boots that reached a bit below the knee, covered in straps and buckles from toe to tip. A form fitting dark navy blue turtle neck was the most understated part of the whole ensemble. He wasn't done there though, wearing a black leather harness over his sweater. Coming over his chest in an x, bottomed by a strap that wrapped around his waist. Like one of those characters in an Apocalypse movie wearing harnesses for no reason other than the aesthetic.

The drama of it all.

There was one good thing that came with Jack coming back. Four plastic cups passed around to every one of you, Jack with his own held gingerly in between thick fingers. It was lukewarm and grainy, instant coffee. He may have been a monstrous man-eater but at least he was considerate to the fact that all of you were dog tired. 

Food storage wasn't just dead bodies in the back of that deli. There was a storage of packaged and canned goods somewhere that you hadn't been shown. They didn't tell you how they got any of it, you were just glad there was some source of it. Not having to starve, being passed fruit gummies for breakfast and dry ramen for dinner. Not tied up and being fed, the high life of being a hostage to a bunch of deadly criminals. 

It was the bitterest cup of coffee you'd ever had the displeasure of tasting, but you downed half of it in a second. Jane had sat herself across from you, struggling to slide a plastic straw under her mask. Jack preemptively assumed that she probably wouldn't take the thing off, not being as much of a dickhead than you thought. Natalie next to her, partially leaning onto the woman. Jane had insisted sharply that she wasn't tired in the slightest, that she was fine, that she wanted everyone to group up and talk over her ideas right away. 

Jack pulled up a chair at the end of the lunch table. On your and Jane's side, setting his cup on the table. His coffee looked a lot less watery than everyone else's. Was he hogging all the good shit or what? While you waited for one of them to finally kick up the 'meeting', you stared into the shifting liquid. A lot richer in color, reddish-brown, looking thick and creamy. It didn't smell only like stale grounds, there was an undertone of an overly familiar metallic scent. Wait a fucking second. 

"Is that blood?" You croaked, sounding like shit while feeling even worse. Your filter was nonexistent at the moment, too tired to care.

Settling comfortably, as good as he could be in the chair that was too small to comfortably fit him, he replied, "Yeah."

Even self proclaimed gods needed caffeine. Somewhat humanizing himself, but at the same time just making you further disgusted by him. Blood in coffee was such a stupid concept, scary but so ridiculous.

Rubbing your eyelids, chuckling and picking up the cup, "Okay." 

Whilst sipping, Jane slammed her palms onto the table, cool liquid splashing as you jolted and gave her a dirty look. Everyone had taken their turn in the showers, everyone had a cup of coffee, everyone was finally together, it was time for the worlds shittiest mockery of a war council to begin.

No build up, no intro, she jumped right in, "We need to seek Jeff out on his missions and have (Y/n) intercept them." 

You immediately asked, "Intercept his what?" 

After taking a quiet sip of his odd cup of coffee, Jack informed you, "The entity needs to feed, but it can not feed itself without it's proxies. They're like it's utensils, if you get what I mean?"

"Not in the slightest." You deadpanned, slurping on the dirt like beverage.

"People are it's food, but not literally." He continued to try to explain.

"Still makes no sense." Admittedly, that was probably seen as rude. You didn't care about repercussions from him at the moment. 

"It doesn't matter if it makes sense to you or not." He was having none if it but at least he wasn't going to crush your windpipe over it. " **He** still uses humans as food-"

"Oh, so like you." Natalie jokingly interrupted him.

The edges of his lips started to twitch as he let out a strained, "It's different."

"How?" Natalie prodded.

"Doesn't matter-"

"But I wanna know." Being the best rested of all of you, not physically fucked, mentally fried, or having had vomit on her lap for hours. Willing to still be a little shit and not read the room. Maybe she was taking a mean spirited satisfaction in acting like a gnat. It must have been degrading, humiliating for her to have someone tear the clock from her skull like that. Over powered in put in a place she didn't enjoy to be. Trying to feel more powerful and in control with the use of her big mouth. Then again, you didn't really know the story and you didn't care to find out. 

You weren't good with that sort of thing but even you could tell he was starting to get annoyed with her. "Not going to tell you. Anyways-"

"Bu-" Jane slapped a hand over her mouth, done with her as much as everyone else was. Natalie all but deflated, huffing and slacking her shoulders. Shutting up dejectedly. 

He continued where he left off, "Proxies feed it. To get," He made air quotes with his free hand, " _'Food'_ for it, proxies are given tasks to carry out. People to stalk, harass, or kill. Sometimes randomly selected, sometimes rejected or future proxy candidates." At least Jack was trying to make sense even if what he was saying sounding like some Hollywood B-movie convoluted garbage. He did sound very well versed in the topic, interesting but you were more so focused on the Jeff aspect of the whole equation.

"Okay." Just smile and nod. You got the general idea of what a mission was but the interception part was lost on you. The biggest unknown to you was what exactly Jeff was supposedly working for, it, **him.**

There was a lull in conversation, Jane sliding her hand off of Natalie's mouth and letting the hand rest on her partners shoulder, giving her a small tap. Jack was done, too exhausted to tack on any snarky comments and didn't give enough of a shit to further spell things out.

You broke the silence, throwing the question that was sitting idle in your mind, "Who is **he**? Why does Jeff even have to be 'fired' in the first place?"

Turning to you, a hand placed on your shoulder, speaking to you as Ezekiel, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. **Him**."

Natalie broke her momentary silence to genuinely ask, "Okay, what?" 

He did not further explain anything to her. Just looking to you with a satisfied smile while you mulled over his message. Deciding the bible thumper-esuqe blurb down to, ' _Jeff's got a shitty boss who's not human and makes him do bad things.'_ He could have just said that but whatever.

" **He's** fucking garbage." Natalie simply spelled it out albeit vaguely. Crossing her arms and further leaning into Jane, head nuzzling into the shorter woman's shoulder. Jane's arm slipping around her neck silently. Clock reading twelve forty-five. It was still so jarring that only hours before you were near him and now you were hundreds of miles apart. 

Chiming in with useful information once again instead of opting to cryptically leave you in the dark, "Proxies can't die unless they're let go." You supposed since you were sitting at their rectangular table, in their circle, he would actually tell you some things. Keep you in the loop but at a distance. Which was fine, you didn't really want to be besties with your captors. 

Setting you cup down, rocking your heels into the tile, idly echoing, "Okay, what?" Over and over as you thought of exactly what to say.

"Is she mocking me?" 

"Hope so."

"Fuck off, lard ass."

They were making it hard to concentrate on your thoughts and it made it a lot more tempting to snap at them. Being an asshole right about now seemed like a very viably option, one you were going to take. Fed up with this place, these people, throwing back their admittedly dumb plan back at them with a curled lip, "Okay, okay, so," You gestured outwardly, "You guys want me to just go up to Jeff while he's killing people or already done or _whatever._ Just being like, _'hey, how's it going bud?'_ And just expect that to do _something_ to get him fired?"

"Uhh, yeah?" Natalie snottily answered, looking at you like you were stupid.

You rose your brows, scoffing, "You are aware we've done that twice now, right? I don't really know what you expect to change or happen because _apparently,"_ You pointedly looked to Jane, meeting her still exposed eye, "You had some grand fucking plan but it is _literally_ just doing the same thing."

There was a moment of silence for your words to hang in the air. Back talk at Liu, Ezekeil, whatever, was one thing; but directing it at all of them was another. Immediately realizing what you'd done and not completely regretting it. Why should you? They were all assholes who deserved to be talked to like that. Assholes who were also very dangerous and could hurt you. Lashing out, putting yourself at risk, and not regretting it out of a hateful grudge. 

While they ruminated on your words, you finished off the coffee. Slamming the plastic down in a quiet act of further rudeness, that'll fucking show them.

"The first time was to start things off. Him just knowing that you 'came for him' and saw him like that served it's purpose. It rattled him." Jane flatly began, straw still under the mask. Pausing to presumably sip on the room temperature coffee, finally continuing, "The second time was to have him see you again, see him like that again, it's the start of a-" She couldn't seem to find the right word.

"A snowball effect." Jack finished for her, earning him a glance from the smiling mask. You couldn't tell if she was trying to portray annoyance or gratefulness.

You began to think aloud, fumbling with the puzzle pieces, "So you established a beginning. Kind of implanted the thought in his head that this would be continuing. Both times he couldn't kill me," You shook your hands and idly looked around the food court, "You expect him to continue to not kill me. Some sort of line drawn to his humanity? Wait, hm, I dunno if that'd actually matter as I don't know the criteria for being let off."

A touch on your shoulder brought your head out of the clouds, shutting up and looking to Ezekiel. A stiff smile at the corners of his lips, unspeaking but you think that was approval.

"Instead of waiting," Jane drew your attention, "For his rampage to be over we have you disrupt it." Liu told you before he was in a better mood after a kill. Jeff didn't like it when he was interrupted. "It's possible with your presence we can have him," She seemed hesitant to say the word, imply mercy being given out by someone like him, "Spare people, stop carrying out the missions."

Jack built up off of her words, probably thinking aloud like you'd been, "If he can't do the work then **he'd** just take control. However, certain strong emotional responses can have one be able to disobey. If we put (Y/n) in the right places and try to keep the situation as controlled as possible, then he may have a harder time completing missions. If he can't do anything for **him** and continuously fights the influence due to (Y/n)'s interference, then we may have a good chance of succeeding."

"What the fuck did you just even say?" Natalie huffed before downing her beverage.

"I see-" He ignored Natalie to continue.

"Hah." Natalie let out an obnoxious laugh, Jane shaking her shoulder to shut the woman up, but you swore you heard soft laughter from your leader. 

Jack gave them an unamused look, "You," He directed his attention your way, "And **him** are like two radio towers and Jeff is a car between them. Depending on circumstances, in this analogy whichever one he's closer to is the one he hears more clearly. In reality it'd be whatever you said and did to him and how he'd react to that." Placing more responsibility on your shoulders than before, "If he 'drives'," He made sure to use air quotes so you could follow along better, "Closer to you then he'd be fired but if wrong choices are made and there's still feedback from the entity, then he'd probably kill you." 

You weren't even involved with their weird supernatural drama and here they were, explaining logistics of it to you. Detailing things out, putting responsibility that you never wanted on your shoulders. 

They just didn't let up. Jane adding onto him, for once not bickering but building up off of one another, "We'd have to be almost beat per beat with his missions. Not let him get a chance to regather himself." She paused to sip. You think you liked it better when they snappily insulted each other back and forth. "We could save a lot of lives." Maybe trying to make herself feel like a better person, maybe trying to convince you of the legitimacy and rewarding feeling of being a hero. No matter what was going through her head you'd about had it.

"Oh, gimme a break," Scoffing and forcing yourself to meet her visible brown eye, "Save lives? Like you give a shit." Gesturing toward her and her murderous partner, "You could'a saved those people but you didn't." The parents. You weren't trying to take the moral high ground, more so looking to break down the pedestal she sat herself upon.

Firing back immediately, "It had to happen," Convinced of herself, "Those deaths were necessary."

"No they weren't. We could have just shown up before or when we was right about to go ape-shit and it probably would have had the same effect on him." Pointedly arguing with her, tired and at the end of her tether. Lethal, showing clear signs of hate for you, her eye dark and unreadable. "After all, you're saying that now you wanna fucking throw me in the middle of that shit. So, why have you not already been doing that? Those people needed saving and you just let them die." Spitting accusingly at the woman, throwing a verbal rock while in a glass house. You didn't help them either.

"Trail and error." Jane replied through what you'd assumed was gritted teeth. Implying that she wasn't morally sound, not a hero but an opportunistic worm. Honestly, she was probably going off of Liu, that he was in a better mood after the kill. More easy to sway. 

You weren't having it, going off the rails and throwing the idea of safety out the window. They claimed to need you so much, so in theory you could say whatever you wanted, they couldn't kill you for it.

"Bullshit." You got a fat load of satisfaction from speaking to her like this, making her feel shitty and not the other way around. She deserved it. They all did. "You don't give a shit about saving people. You onl-"

"You don't know _anything_ about me." Sharply retorting, slamming a hand on the table. Plastic shaking beneath the force, a tired warning from a worn down woman with apparently no sense of self awareness. "Stop talking like you do. All you are is something for us to use. You're a stepping stone to complete _my_ goal. This is so much fucking bigger than you. I've been at this for a long fucking time and I know what needs to be done. You haven't seen shit yet (Y/n)." Six years of suffering versus ten. Loss of an entire family versus a best friend. You really didn't have much room to talk because she was right. You hadn't been through the same thing, you hadn't gone through her transformation. You weren't willing to stomp Jeff's brains in, not that far gone yet. 

Though she was right, you still had been deeply wronged by all of these people. Still cranky, you hadn't slept in over twenty hours and the most you'd eaten was gas station candy and shitty coffee. Hungry and vengeful, you spat out the words that were a vile poison on your tongue, "You only care about killing someone who wronged _you._ It's not about saving people is it?" Rocking the pedestal, just wanting her to fall already. Being an asshole was one thing, but acting like she was in it for more than self fulfillment was grating. 

Suddenly standing, shoving Natalie off her shoulder, hands pressed into the table and leaning toward you. The coffee tipped over and spilled, the little bit left in the cup making a small puddle on the surface. Plastic straw being yanked out from under her mask and thrown aside for the sake of intimidation. Couldn't be looking like a messy bitch when trying to back someone into a corner. Above you and looking down, seeing you as lesser. Brown eye searing into your own, mask hovering inches above your face, her hair brushing against your shoulders. " _You don't fucking know me."_

Snarling up at her, too lost in your own anger to check yourself. On a self destructive path, continuously poking the bear with warning after warning ignored. Neither one of you backed down while your heart started to hammer away in your chest. Body understanding that you might be in some danger but mind unwilling to make you blink or look away. Hating eye contact in the first place unless it was with someone you cared for, forcing yourself to endure it with the wicked woman out of a stupid spite.

"If I may Jane." Ezekiel cut in, putting the stare down to an end. She stayed in place a few moments while he waited patiently for compliance. With one finally dirty look, she slid back into her seat. Too tired to put you in your place or rather wanting you to submit under her piercing gaze alone. Natalie looking at you like you'd just screamed a slur and stabbed her in the chest, challenged her beloved Janey.

"(Y/n)," He turned his attention to you, delivering a biblical blurb, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?"

He paused for you to respond, which you did with a scoff. Still having yet to come down from you pissed off state

. "I don't care about what people think about me," You did, the point was you didn't desire to be hailed a hero, "The 'right thing' is ruining my life." It was selfish and you knew it. It was human nature to look after yourself over unseen masses of people you couldn't comprehend or conjure up in your mind, but you weren't trying to act like you were a good person like Jane was. Mentally distancing yourself from those dead and those soon to be. 

Ezekiel may have been expecting your dissatisfaction, having a bitingly relevant response, "But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you _must_ rule over it. I believe in you." 

Keeping his patient smile on while you processed what the message was. You were actively trying not to do the right thing, selflessly save other human lives. If you got out then it'd eat away at you, the knowledge that people were still dying because you took the easy way out. A great sin committed by someone who was the least bad in a room full of bloodthirsty killers. In a weird metaphorical way, you'd be just as bad as them. Unseen blood on your hands. You could stop struggling, embrace your forced fate and not rot in guilt. 

You weren't ready to accept it. As long as you had a life to return to, you'd keep trying to find ways home. Bluntly, you gave him the answer he awaited for with a smile, "I don't care." Liar. Angrily trying to push the weight of responsibility off of your back. They wouldn't let you shrug it away.

"Hypocrite." Jack cut in, providing a single word as a piece of his mind. The word dropped into your conflicted mind and festering dangerously. Validation that, fundamentally, you were a shitty selfish person. Trying to reason with yourself that it was okay to be a little selfish sometimes, look after yourself. It was a perfectly fine reaction to want to leave, spit in their faces and fuck off forever. This was bigger than them though, this involved other people. If you were just some random person you wouldn't appreciate being murdered. If you somehow knew that some stupid asshole bailed on their responsibility and it led to you and a bunch of other people dying, you'd be so fucking mad. Though it was hard to put yourself in the shoes of a dead person, you got the gist.

You really were a coward. It was fine to run away or ignore problems as a kid but you were a grown adult now. You couldn't hide behind Jeff anymore. This time around you had to face him. Just like Jane, you had a one track mind that was ultimately self serving. Though you saw what was wrong with yourself and your logic, you still didn't change your mind. You wanted to go home. Hypocritical. 

"So what?" Huffing at the man, gesturing toward Jane, "At least I'm not self righteous." A petty jab in all honesty, running out of ammunition. 

Natalie looked like she was about to throw herself over the table and choke you out. Protective of her favorite person, she was so similar to _him_ that it confused you. Clock ticking down the time, fingers digging into the table, snarling with bared teeth. Restraining herself from stabbing you twenty-seven times in the chest or smashing your head into the table. This was a meeting to plan out the groups next step, it'd do everyone well to stay somewhat civil. Even someone like her understood that, just barely.

Adding more gas to the fire, she snarled, "Doesn't matter what you fucking think. You're still not getting out of here dumbass."

Fair point you had to admit. 

Clicking your tongue, shaking your hands, looking around and switching the topic up a bit, "Well, if you're all about saving people," Directing the statement to all of them, boldly assuming they were all in it for the same basic reason, "Then _if_ your plan works out," Glancing to Jack, knowing what his victory plans were for you, "Toast to the fact that 'cha did it _on top of my fucking corpse."_

You don't think you'd ever said something so pointedly rude at a worse time. When Jane and Natalie were wound up. Jack already proving to be short with your antics. Liu was gone, Ezekiel seemed to be agree with his mission, but with a different edge to it. Less delusional more Jesus-happy. Forgive thy neighbor type of shit.

He still kept his hand clasped upon your shoulder, reassuring you in his own way, "Truly, truly, I say to you, (Y/n), if anyone keeps my word they will never see death.”

There was no uncertainty, no hesitation, no anger at your outburst. Just patience and understanding. A sincere promise that you would not die if you stuck with him. Stay in Jeff's corner even when he was fighting against the idea of being fired. Having told Liu to fuck off. Yet he kept supporting his brother even in the fact of obvious moral wrongness. Loving the man even though he was a stone cold killer, wanting to save him regardless of what he'd done. 

You have enough of a moral compass to know that was wrong. You didn't want to be in Jeff's corner but the idea of him being dead was something you detested. You understood why it would have to be done but the thought made you sick. Finding out he was alive just to lose him all over again.

If Jeff did die though, even if you joined his side, what would he do? Blame you and fuck off forever? Kill you for not magically fixing things? Try as he might, Liu tried to play cool and collected but there was something deeply fractured within him. He wasn't a good person anymore, he was delusional and clinging onto a walking corpse who hated him. 

You didn't want to be around these people. 

"Well, anyways." You stood yourself up, shaking Ezekiel's hand off of your shoulder. They wouldn't let you out of here for sure.

"What are you doing?" Jane demanded, starting to stand up herself to come after your ass if you tried to make a run for the glass gates of freedom.

"I am going to find a comfortable cramped space and go to bed." In your head the meeting was over. You got confusing information, plans that'd put your life at risk, and into a fight with Jane. You were physically and emotionally exhausted. Over it. Wishing to feel confining walls around you like a hug. Though you didn't want a hug from any of them, even if you were tempted to melt into Ezekiel's warmly familiar touch. You were left to seek comfort in the inanimate walls of some random corner or under a fast food place's counter. 

You were going to deeply regret every biting word you said whenever you rose once more. Maybe not everything, feeling proud of yourself for standing up for yourself, but still understanding that challenging Jane like that could have gotten you a concussion. 

"Until then," You fully pulled away from table, out of immediate reach, "Do not look at me, do not talk to me, do not touch me, do not think about me, don't even perceive me." You wanted to feel completely alone. Disappear mentally from this clown show when you knew you wouldn't get very far if you tried to escape. 

"You know that one of us is going to follow you, right?" Jack tiredly asked the rhetorical question while you picked a direction to waddle.

"I am not being perceived right now. You are talking to nothing." Childish in your irritable drowsiness.

"Things that don't exist can't respond like that." Marching forward you didn't respond to Jack. Pretending like you were nothing but air. That'd show them.

**[Here's](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RFSCdhs2kP4NjXQtLIhKo?si=kE6OzuVdQCqfJpAGLVq6-g) ****Spotify playlist for the fic, it's roughly nine hours of piss and fuck music. Thanks for the support fellas.**


	18. 17 - Word Of Mouth

**Spoilers for the end our other completed fic (Proxies X Reader)[Spill Your Guts](https://www.quotev.com/story/12710266/Spill-Your-Guts-Proxies-X-Reader/1) You don't have to read SYG first just a heads up as both fics take place in the same universe.**

_The shift was grueling. Nonstop shelving while understaffed. It was that time of year, stomach bug making it's rounds and having more than three fourths of the staff stay home. Even Jason and Micheal who were unphased by boxes of heavy products falling on them, had to call out sick._

_You and Noah were exhausted. Almost sleeping on the ride home and missing your station. The two of you couldn't tear open your apartment's door fast enough. Shaking off your shoes, you spun around and started to march past your open floor tiny living room and kitchen. Eyes dead ahead on the hallway that led to your door, chattering to Noah who was right behind you, "Dude, I'm literally so tired. I'm like-"_

_"I thought I left the curtains open." Noah skeptically commented, making a detour into the kitchen to yank open the ratty curtains._

_You paused only mildly interested, mostly considering a snack before bed. Watching Noah's head practically spin, looking around frantically._

_Pointing to the trashcan, "This was full before we left." Rushing oven to the bin, opening the lid which had been propped up earlier. Overflowing as this week, you both may have gone crazy with movie nights and the remains of wrappers were really starting to pile up. Repeating himself as he looked down the empty trashcan. Freshly taken out and given a new bag, "This was full."_

_Shrugging, "I probably took it out before we left." Sometimes memory was shitty like that, you couldn't remember doing that but you didn't remember a lot of things._

_"No," He insisted, letting out a shuddering breath and looking like he was about to piss himself, "We have a routine. Wednesday is trash day, it's Tuesday." He was getting like that again. You couldn't blame him or get mad at him for his paranoia and anxiety. Bad things happened to him about three years ago and it stuck with him._

_It was true, you both did have a very specific routine. One that you both liked to upkeep as you liked to expect the same thing over and over and he would have a lesser chance of getting like this. Guilt twisted around in your chest, this was probably your doing. Thinking that you'd get it done early or something like that because it was actually bothering you how much trash was in the bin._

_"Hey," You started to approach him carefully, "It was just me," You couldn't remember that but it defiantly had to be there was no one else around to do it, "Sorry I forgot to tell you before we left." Noah looked up from the empty bag, eyes wide and watery, poor thing._

_"But you didn't!" Shouting with an obvious crack in his voice, lips curling into his face and downward, "I was the last one inside. I saw you go out without the trash bag. I swear! There's someo-"_

_"Ah! Ah-ah-ah." If you left him go on a rambling tangent, the idea would only further fester in his mind. He'd grow agitated and afraid. Too scared to sleep in his own room. God, you fucking hated his ex for doing this to him. Stalking and gaslighting the poor man for four months. Ultimately, it all ended with the man trying to kill him. Obviously, Noah got away and his ex went to prison but that kind of shit rattled someone. Noting patterns you didn't, irrationally thinking that he was back. He broke out of jail and was in the house, stalking him again, going to kill him. Sometimes to ease his anxiety, you'd sweep the house wielding a baseball bat while Noah stood at the front door. Too scared to go inside because the doormat looked just a little bit too off. Post traumatic stress disorder could do that to a person and it hurt to see him like this. You'd do anything to help._

_Coming up to him and catching him in a hug which he needily accepted. Shoving his head in your shoulder, starting to sniffle and softly wail. Patting his back with one hand and rubbing circles with the other. Rocking him back and forth, "It's alright. I'm here."_

_"This just," He paused to wheezily whine, "Keeps happening. I know how you move around the house and I know our routine and-"_

_You cut him off, not letting him get in his own head, "Sometimes I do things a bit differently. Sorry I didn't notice, I'll try to pay attention more."_

_Noah wasn't convinced just yet, letting fear use him as a mouth piece, "I think somebody's been in t-"_

_"It's just the two of us." You reassured, holding him tighter, "You're safe." You were exhausted and frankly a little cranky but you'd stay here as long as Noah needed it._

_Just two best friends in their shared kitchen and the man watching from the cracked open closet door._

**\----**

Curling up under a Burger King counter was not the worst thing you'd ever done. It was certainly not comfortable, but the confined space was nice. It was like being held but by wood. The second you found the little area of refuge you passed the fuck out. 

You had no idea how long you were out or what time it was exactly. All you knew was that it was probably night time because it was pitch black. You couldn't see a thing. Unfurling yourself and slapping your hands onto the grimy floor. Crawling out from under the counter, still unable to see anything at all while not under the wooden shelter. Straining you ears to hear talking or breathing. There was a distantly wet sound that you didn't quite care to place. The mental images of the past few days gave you horrid ideas that you really didn't want to entertain.

Instantly thinking that maybe they left you alone here for some stupid reason. Even if they were here, it was so dark that chasing you would be messy and difficult. On the other hand though, you getting out of here when it was so dark was also something that'd prove difficult. Well, that was only possible if they knew you were awake. All you had to do was quietly crawl out of here. Use the murky image of the food court in your minds eye to guide you. This was going to take awhile.

Using your hand to sweep the floor in front of you. Brushing over crusty and flaky things that you were glad you couldn't see. Crawling forward when the path was clear, occasionally feeling along the counters wall, looking for the open part of the counter that you came though earlier. 

Your hand brushed over something quite large. You didn't really know what it was or remembered what was that big in the path. Passing your hand over it again, going up and over the half-circle mass, thing. Containing yourself from thinking aloud. Coming forward a few inches and grabbing the thing so you knew where it was generally. 

Your hand couldn't come completely around the thing. A lot bigger than you thought. What was it? Smooth in texture but a bumpy mass, lots of little dips in between long horizontal plains. Coming a bit to it's side, further feeling up so you could understand what exactly it was that you were touching. It could perhaps be a weird pipe or something that could help you orient yourself. 

Going higher, you found that the same pattern of it's mass continued up quite a while. Furrowing your brows and sliding your had up the thing, expanding, growing wider as you went on. Then it came to a stop, leading into a warm and smooth thing. Confusedly, squeezing it. A quiet creek from the material, a bump of a mass under your hand. Wait a second. 

Traveling up further, the bump led into a smoother area. Idly feeling around, finding it to be roughly cylindrical but not really. Wait. Pulling your hand away a bit, grabbing at the material between your thumb and pointer finger, giving it a sharp tug. A groaning shift, fabric. Wait, no, not exactly. There was the slight, yet ultimately there, scent of leather. _Wait._

"Oh my god." Your filter disappeared when you realized that you were fondling a person's leg. You immediately let go of them and stumbled back to the sound of rumbling laughter. Deep and with an undertone of an echo, something not entirely human, something you couldn't fully understand. Probably smiling with a mouth full of flesh tearing canines, Jack.

Blurting out the first thing that came to mind as you scrambled back a few feet, "How long have you been there?" Instantly terrified to be in such close proximity with him in a dark room. The last time you touched him, he was choking you out after eating fingers and sucking bone marrow. Not exactly the nicest association in the world to have with somebody. 

Your question only gave you another short round of chuckling, him replying clearly amused, "Awhile."

His laughter dying down, you fumbled with the counter top blindly and made yourself stand up. Heart thumping in your chest, remembering the disrespect. On an emotional level, you didn't regret it. They deserved to be spoken to that way. However, it wasn't the smart thing to do. You should have just played along instead of getting all pissy with them. Now they didn't like you even more, or at least Natalie and Jane didn't. Further putting yourself at risk and fucking yourself over like the big brain genius that you were. You had to keep your mind on survival and escape, not how they hurt your feelings and tested your patience. It was just so hard at the time to control yourself. Satisfying, gratifying, a set back with unseen consequences that you honestly probably needed. A boost in confidence but not by much. You were still here, a captive without any control.

Still in a dark place with a laughing self proclaimed, man eating, god. There very well could be others. Bluntly asking the darkness, "Anybody else?" With a wavering nervous smile. Starting to rock your heels into the tile, calm down, collect yourself and don't be stupid. 

_"Brrrrip!"_ The rattling call came from some ways away, despite not being able to see you still looked in it's direction. Two distant dots of glowing white looking to you, barely illuminating pale skin. Accompanied by the wet sound. It was just Rake. Probably eating another cat or a raccoon. 

The dots quickly disappeared, Rake turning back to whatever he was eating and continuing. Starting to idly fidget with one of the pins, you didn't quite know how to proceed. Well rested but nothing to do but stand there. You could try to make a break for the unseen doors but he'd probably catch you in a second. You didn't want to try him and end up on the same table that body was on. Tied down, awake, and able to feel every little cut. The thought was enough to make you shiver, other hand protectively coming over your stomach.

At the very least he seemed to be in an okay mood. Hopefully not going to slam you up against something and bite your ear off. Likely having a hearty meal. He probably got some shut eye in as well, if he even could shut his eyes, you had no idea how that whole thing worked. There was nothing else to do and it sounded like a good idea to test the waters of his temper. Gauge how he was feeling in general and about you after your outburst. Try and find any advantage that you could. Starting off simply, "How do you see?"

This seemed to get to him as well. A huffy and short lived chuckle. Standing there, staring at where you believed he was in general. His laugh echoed through the food court for a few moments before fizzling out. The two of you standing mostly in silence, the quietly distant chewing just barely audible at this point.

**THUMP.**

The sudden sound had you jumping off the vibrating floor with a yelp. The sound and shake heavily associated with him hunting you down. Heart practically jumping out of your chest. Adrenaline spiking and immediately wanting to scramble your ass out of there but you stayed in place. No more stupid decisions.

The sound traveled further and further away into the food court while the ground still shuddered ever so slightly. "Like that." It clicked then and there that he gave you an example, one you couldn't quite understand as you were not him and couldn't see what he was seeing. Some sort of echolocation. 

He was letting you know more about himself, that had to be a good sign. Maybe after disrespecting Jane so much he had a shred of new found fondness or at least patience with you. Just as a little treat for bothering someone he didn't get along too swell with. You wanted to see how much wiggle room you had with him now, "How does that work?"

"Sound gives a general idea of where things are and vibration helps with the details." He actually complied, not sounding horribly bored or short with you. Willing to have a tensely pleasant conversion. "If you understand what I mean."

"Kind of?" Echolocation to you was associated with bats and their tiny adorable, albeit, shitty eyes. Using sound to expertly navigate. You didn't have to emote but you did anyway. Shaking your hands and rocking your heels to let restless and nervous energy escape out of you. A small part of you was oddly excited to learn more about such an odd being. The few okay-ish things about your situation was that all of them were freaks. You loved a good freak.

**THUMP.**

The second stomp wasn't as much of a surprise but it still got to you. Tensing up and stopping your stimming. 

In response to the repeated noise, Rake called back, "Brrip! Brip! Bip?" A series of rolling clicks. 

"I'm not hunting her." Jack presumably responded to his odd friend, somehow understanding what he meant. Intriguing but chilling to think that the stomping was also associating with hunting for Rake too. For him it wasn't being on the other end, running from the shaking earth but instead crawling side by side with the hunter. "Just wanted to see in better detail," Fabric and leather audibly shifting as he may or may not have turned to you, "How confused you look." Condescendingly playful, not entirely friendly but not entirely malicious. "Just the way that your mouth is hanging open like that is," He huffily laughed, "Amazing." Making a show of how much detail he could make out. Understanding your facial expression some how. Literally how did that work.

Taking advantage of his good mood and also wanting to have an okay conversation for once, you asked, "Can you see color?"

"Sound isn't a color." Jack pointed out as you realized the same thing. Unless you had synthesia, but for everybody else it was a flat no. 

He was sassing you. Laughing in reply, nervous nature having you clam up for a moment. Telling yourself you should stop laughing, he'd think that you were laughing at him. Other people's thought process was hard to understand sometimes. You may have already overstepped a boundary and made him uncomfortable. No, wait, he was laughing and telling you semi-personal information, that had to be good. Hell, if by the end of this you were still kicking and he warmed up to you maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't eat you alive. 

For a split second considering a hollow friendship out of the need to survive. What little pride you had integrally screamed at you that was bad. You didn't want anything to do with them.

Blurting out the words without thinking, somewhat joking, "Aha, I think I liked it better when you were mad at me." Instantly wanting to slap yourself on the forehead. Saying it because you were afraid of the idea of developing stockholm syndrome. Putting it in a contradictory joking tone because you wanted the 'relationship' to head in a better direction that ended with you not being eaten. Social ineptitude and indecisiveness really was a bitch sometimes.

That seemed to be another joke to him, getting a dry laugh. You didn't think that you were being very funny but apparently tonight you were a real circus clown.

"You haven't seen me mad yet." Humoring you instead of punishing you. Taking the path to brighter pastures because he felt like it at the moment. He didn't really seem like like anybody too much other than Rake, you assumed that maybe he saw the same opportunity that you did. A strained yet incredibly hollow acquaintanceship that'd end the second you no longer had to be around one another. Possibly mutually beneficial if he wanted company, but you didn't quite know his story so you couldn't say. 

You didn't want to assume anything though. This guy acted dry but the second you annoyed him he threatened to rearrange your guts. You were just going to stay cautious with how you interacted with them, as much as you could when you had a tendency to blurt out things you probably shouldn't. Containing your stimming, you laughed nervously and let your eyes dart place to unseen place. More of a nervous tic than trying to get a good sense of your surroundings.

Chortling but reminding you, "Just don't test me again and I won't eat both of your hands." The sudden threat with the echoing undertone, unnatural, something that should not be but is, sent a chill down your spine. As fascinating as he was, unknown territory came with a lot of dangers yet to be identified. Waiting for the first poor soul to come across them and teach those after them a lesson with their death. 

**THUMP.**

Another stomp, seeing you in more detail after he made his alarming proclamation. Cringing only seemed to be hysterical to the guy. Laughter growing in volume by one whole decibel, able to see your discomfort. Treating it like a bit of an inside joke by tacking on the hand comment. Teasing you like a friend but with the distant rudeness of someone mocking you. Hard to read.

Speaking was your only defense but you weren't going to jump the gun again, you weren't deaf or that dumb. "Noted." 

The two of you stood there awhile. Sounds fizzling out other than the distant cracking and the occasionally loud slurp. Rake was definitely feasting and you were somewhat glad for the darkness. Unable to see the creature partaking in such a gruesome activity. Getting over the shock of waking up and immediately groping Jack's knee, you let yourself fidget more freely as you delved into thought. Trying to figure out how you were supposed to act around Jane and Natalie now that they were pissed at you. What to say to not get tied to a chair. How to carry yourself and what not.

Quickly flipping into the topic of Jeff. The responsibility of helping him was still being forced onto your shoulders. Four people deciding for you that you'd do this service for them all because they wanted you to. It sucked and you resented them for it, but that didn't change your path. You would still have to face him, manic, blood thirsty, watch him kill or grievously injure other people. You didn't want to acknowledge the uncomfortable feeling but you'd have to. The guilt that if you said the wrong thing to Jeff, then a person you could have saved would be slaughtered before your eyes. Even though you didn't hold the knife, you'd still feel the sting of second hand guilt.

The possibility of you getting stabbed was there too. He hadn't yet, but he could. Seeing that gruesomely transformed face before you died left you with an odd feeling. Jeff was terrifyingly different but still, he was Jeff. He got his grubby hands on testosterone through definitely malicious means, transitioned the best he could. Being so much more masculine now, taller, buffer, a more filled out frame. It was bittersweet to see him all grown up. Yet there were changes he definitely hadn't been looking for, the burn scars, the bald spot, the blind eye, the lack of eyelids, the carved grin. All grown up yet he looked so cruelly horrible. 

With a new partner in crime, this time it was literal. An eccentric woman with a twin smile. You wondered how she got dragged into that mess with him. What it was like being friends with the man in the present day. How she comforted him though the years, being there for him while you drove down to Connecticut every so often. Standing at his grave to leave him tiger lilies like the ones in his old front garden. Hoping that from the afterlife he could get a kick out of your offering. Still resenting the dead boy for what he did to your life, but still missing him and wondering where you went wrong. What you could have done to stop his downward spiral at thirteen.

Jack cut through your thoughts that had begun to spiral into melancholy, "Are we just going to stand here?" Sounding bored.

He had no problem sitting and keeping watch for long periods before, what changed? Maybe he didn't like the activity in the first place, humoring it a few times but quickly growing tired of how stale it was. Looking for a more enriching experience that wasn't just blindly staring you down. The possibilities were more open with you not being tied down and the fact that you could kind of, maybe, walk around with supervision if they wanted to humor you. 

You felt like you had to indulge him in conversation, "I guess?" It wasn't like you had any plans but also you couldn't see shit. Unable to navigate where you were going. 

"Aren't you curious about what the others are doing?" Did he like these people or not? Or was it a work, stay in the loop, kind of thing? These people were so confusing. 

"Not really." Said with a shrug. The others weren't your biggest fans and the thought of seeing them was a terrifying thought. 

"Hm." He seemed to take your words into account. Hopefully willing to indulge you in _not_ doing anything but awkwardly chit chat til sunrise. Then you'd face the girls and Liu or Ezekiel. For now, you just wanted to exist without as much peril, things hadn't been going your way lately and the same pattern was showing up once more. "Well I am. Let's go, snack." Spoken flatly, you couldn't tell if it was ironic or not.

As fabric shifted but no footsteps shook the ground, you asked feeling slighted by the name, "Excuse m- _WHAT!?"_

The thing snaked around your waist in the blink of an eye. A thick cylindrical mass that you confusedly yanked at with your hands. It didn't constrict the breath out of you but it's hold was firm. Unusually warm, shifting under your hands. Smooth scalespassing beneath your fingertips. The memory of the thing that held up Jane flashed in your brain. The thing that prodded into your chest when he pointed out where he could open you up.

Gasping, you were lifted off the ground and all your weight forced to rely on the three coils that decided to wrap around your torso. Kicking your feet instinctually and continuing to tug on the things. The thunderous footsteps filling the blackness, a slight shake to the tendrils as Jack began to move. Keeping you off the ground and completely unaware of where anything was. It took a hot minute to chill out as much as you could being held by the tendrils.

As terrifying as it was, it was an intriguing unknown, "How does this work? I- What?" Very astutely questioning while grabbing at the things. Rubbing back and forth, one way being a satisfying smooth texture akin to what it was like to feel the pins. The other way was rougher, going against the grain of the scales.

Something lightly slapped the back of your hand as you rubbed against the grain again, trying to figure out the thing. "Stop petting me." Jack flatly told you as you blindly looked for the thing that hit you.

Perhaps the end of the tendril, coming to a rounded out tip. You removed your hands from his weird tentacles or tail or whatever, out of respect for another person, or god-thing. Admittedly, pretty rude to pet something you didn't understand like some kind of animal. 

After you ceased your actives, holding your hands up awkwardly, he answered your question, "Extra appendages. Show up if I want them to. Does that satisfy your curiosity?" Giving you what you wanted with a complete read of your intentions. Terrified but ultimately, you were obsessed with the supernatural. Past the fear and resentment, you had so many questions that you yearned for the answers of. 

"Yep." You shortly replied. As high as the mountain of questions were, you still weren't a fan of this dude. Mildly conflicting feelings underlying your fear.

He had no problem navigating through the mall. Not saying where he was going. Just taking you along for the ride. Hanging from the appendage, respecting that he didn't want to be felt up. The dim light caught your eye, approaching quickly with Jack's long legged gait. Dread, coming to another person who may or may not want to kick your entire ass. Elation, likely to be put down.

The room came more into focus especially when he entered it, lowering the tendril so you didn't bonk your head on the door frame. It was the inside of the Hot Topic. Mostly empty, lit by a bright white, battery powered lamp. Illuminating the air mattress she sat herself upon. Legs under the thin covers and a shitty Chromebook laptop resting on her lap. The suitcase had been rooted through, personal belongings messily thrown around inside the thing. 

Wearing what you thought was a nightdress, pajamas. It was weirdly humanizing to see her in different getup. Thin straps hanging from her shoulders, neck not covered up in velvety fabric. Arms and dainty hands exposed, she had long manicured nails, painted a matte black. Some areas of her skin warped harshly, off-color. One hand pulling on the strap that held her mask to her head. Like she just put it on at the sound of Jack's approach. 

White of the mask tinted a light blue from the screen, tilted up at you. The black film over her eye replaced, all you could see was that knowing smile. Knowing that there was a hateful gaze behind it, "What is _she_ doing here?"

"Well, I'm not just going to leave her alone." Jack spoke to her like she was an idiot, hypocritical considering that when he left you alone, you escaped their grasp for a good few hours. The irony didn't seem to be lost on him, quickly adding, "Again." With a smirk, finally illuminated by the light. You were practically level with him, watching the blackness crawl over his bottom eyelid and drip down his face. Next time he was willing, you just might inquire about the substance.

Jane scoffed as one of the droplets slapped onto the floor. Pettily pissy, turning her mask back to the screen, "I have better things to do than talk to either of you."

Slighted, you gave her a weak glare from your humiliating spot of being held like a Barbie doll. It wasn't like you wanted to talk to her either. There was a thick tension between the both of you. You both knew that the other was cranky after a long night, more willing to throw verbal rocks and be assholes. Yet neither one of you would apologize for obvious fundamental reasons. So, she just passive aggressively spoke toward you but not properly addressing you while you huffed, not speaking to her at all.

"How's tracking?" Jack ignored her statement, not just coming up here to bother her. 

Clicking the track pad, not responding for a few moments, starting slowly as she pieced things together, "The process itself is going fine." Actually talking to you both after the insult. You'd bet any money it was stressful stuff, whatever she did. Maybe it was interesting, wanting to uncontrollably ramble on and on about interest like you used to do with Noah. Fondly recalling blabbering about the Loch Ness monster and all the other lake inhabiting sea monsters while stacking cans of tuna. 

"But," Nothing after 'but' was ever good, "I believe him and Nina just murdered a couple on the outskirts of New York City." The mention of Jeff and murder had your stomach dropping, moral debate picking back up, hyper aware of your hypocrisy. Though you did take note of scene queen's name. Jane continued, "Risky place. I know that _it_ would get them out of any trouble they got into, but still," She ran a hand through her hair, "It's unusual to see them in such high profile places. The rats usually like to prowl around darker, filthier places." Speaking every word with a thick layer of malice. 

"Could be a message?" Jack suggested, actually lowering you to the floor. Not getting along in casual conversation but when it came down to using their brains, they seemed to bounce ideas off one another quite well. 

"No," Jane replied as your feet touched the ground, "Jeff's not smart enough to send a message. It's him having a temper tantrum over (Y/n)." Stomach sinking, looking to your hands and thinking of the second hand imaginary blood on your fingertips as Jack's appendage unwrapped itself from your waist.

A frown tugged at the edges of your lips even when observing the tendril snake away into the back of Jack's turtle neck. Completely disappearing, no bump of mass or anything. "That's good. It's working. We'll definitely make more progress once we change things up." Was progress measured in how many lives he stole? How many families he tore apart? Maybe you should start trying to take solace in if you didn't get away, you'd save future lives without any thanks. People wouldn't just magically know you saved their lives by stopping their would be killer. But, you still wanted to leave this place, these people behind.

Instead of voicing more astute and combative thoughts, you internalized them. Letting them fester mostly because you didn't want to get into it with her again. Bickering would get you nowhere but you still had to ask, "Good? How?"

She tilted her mask to you, staring you down with her blacked out eyes. Then turned back to her laptop, ignoring you. _Petty._ You thought as you literally had the audacity to ask her a question after insulting her judgement. You kinda understood where she was coming from but still, rude.

A new voice chimed in, approaching with soft steps from behind, "When he gets overwhelmed with emotion he lashes out." Liu. Not screaming threats and not spouting bible verses. To you, lashing out was being rude or maybe breaking a plate like a white boy mad at a video game, not cold blooded killing.

Turning, you watched him emerge from the shadows, phone glowing in hand. Using it's flashlight feature to navigate the darkened corridor. Flicking the light off as he stopped beside you, sides almost brushing. You took a subtle step to the side to increase the distance between the two of you. 

Clasping a hand onto your shoulder despite your body language, smiling softly, the harsh light making him look like the ghost you thought he was for the longest time. Warmly proclaiming, "It's because he loves you. He's just having a hard time processing seeing you again, you know?"

"Uh," He implied that kind of thing all the time when you were kids, it was old then and it was old now, "No?" 

"Hm," Liu hummed, taking the spotlight and rambling, "Well, I know it's a tough process to get fired. I understand that he's struggling with a lot. Having to stand up to **him** is very difficult, but the people I interviewed were very kind in providing their story."

Piquing Jack's interest, the man asked, "Do you mean that group up in Michigan?" 

"Yeah!" Liu chirped, laughing as he recalled the memory, "Took them the longest time to answer any of my questions. Thought I was a proxy. Only talked to me when all of the men's wife held a gun to my head and told me ' _to make it quick or I'll fuck your shit up'."_ He imitated the woman's voice with a playful growl, she sounded like someone you probably didn't want to fuck with. 

Jack idly nodded, "Sounds like them. I had no idea how they made _that_ work."

"It's because they love each other. The group camaraderie," He started muse whimsically, "The love they all had for her! Oh (Y/n), I wish you could have seen the look on his face when he talked about her." Not providing names, giving you vague ideas of people in your head, "He told me that _'we couldn't have done it without her.'_ And just the love in his eyes, it made me realize," There was a spark swimming in his eye, delusion, "That the best way out is love."

You shrugged, "I suppose we were were best friends." What were you now? Ten years apart but still a strong connection between you both. One you could hardly categorize anymore.

"No, no," Liu shook his head, "The men and her are married. They escaped together, the effort spearheaded by her. Without her love and encouragement they wouldn't have gotten out. Actually, talking to them is what inspired me to," He paused to word 'stalking you and getting you kidnapped' in the nicest way possible, trying not to feel like he was the crazy-ass that he was, "Seek you out."

Realization dawning on you with a gaping mouth. Getting a little less wholesome while it was already wrong and twisted. Wanting to force that kind of thing upon you. You felt sick to your stomach, curling you lips back in a cringe while you asked, _"Excuse me?"_


	19. 18 - Love Is Blind

_You didn't get it. What was wrong with you? Why were you so undesirable? Were you annoying and stupid? Hated?_

_All those thoughts swirling in your twelve year old pea brain. Sitting on your best friends bed, curled in on yourself and crying into your knees. Shaking, shuddering, stupid. Jeff was never good with emotions, deciphering his own or other people's. Still, he understood the basic concept of hugging can sometimes make things better, mumbling half thought out reassurances. Holding you tight when you felt unlovable._

_Valentines day was a heavily commercialized holiday. An incredibly artificial celebration of love. Not all the time though, even people aware of that still could enjoy the day. Couples who've been in love for years on end would go out and have a nice dinner. Many people used it as excuse to muster up the balls to confess their adoration of another. That's what you were building yourself up to do. Didn't go well._

_Jeff passed you another candy heart, reading 'You Rock' in pale red lettering. Blindly taking the piece of candy and shoving it in your mouth to do something other than babble and sob. Letting the sickly stale sweetness sit on your tongue, trying to come up with the right way to articulate how shitty you felt._

_You could have sworn she was flirting back. You may not have been the best socially but you thought she liked you back. Spending the entire week hyping yourself up internally to confess. Ignoring Jeff's hateful opinions of her, not liking that she was a 'fucking prep!' Googling how people flirted to give yourself artificial knowledge, over analyzing every single word, meme, selfie, all of it. Thinking you had a good shot with this girl._

_Then, earlier that afternoon she sent you a selfie with another girl. Your heart sank but you asked her if she was her sister in hopes that it wasn't true. It was her girlfriend who she never brought up before. Understandably, your twelve year old heart was shattered. Not getting it. Feeling like the girl had something you didn't even though you didn't even know her name. Well aware of the fact that she may have not been flirting now. Playing catch up with social cues, still trying to figure them out. But you could have sworn she liked you back, but apparently you were wrong and now you were here._

_Swallowing the sugar, you continued your whiny babbling, "I just feel so led on," You didn't really have a full grasp on what leading someone on entailed but that was you best explanation._

_You felt shitty for other reasons. Jeff graciously inviting you over only for you to sit on his bed and cry for an hour. Him comforting you and giving you a steady supply of heart candies. You didn't ask where he got them from. His parents didn't give enough of a shit about him to get him something cute and little like that. Jeff said all the girls at your school were dumb and ugly, claiming he wasn't interested in anybody. Maybe he just liked heart candies and bought them for himself since it was that time of year. You felt bad for mooching off of him for comfort and candy._

_"I thought she liked me." You pathetically continued into your knees. Taking solace in his presence around you, holding you as tight as his scrawny arms would allow._

_"She's stupid and ugly and a fucking dumb bitch." Jeff ranted, not liking her before but really not liking her now. "You're cool as fuck (Y/n)!" He all but shouted the words from the roof tops, proclaiming the words so loudly in his empty home. Parents out of a date and Liu hanging out at a boy's house. Awkwardly trying to figure out if he liked him back or not._

_"I dunno." Disagreeing, self esteem at all time low. Peoples opinions of you formulated your entire ego as you'd yet to grasp the idea that you could love yourself and not give a shit about other peoples thoughts of you._

_Jeff wouldn't have any of it, "No really! You're cooler than Doom guy and fuckin' uh," He paused to try and think of something dumbly sweet to say, "All the Texas Chainsaw movies combined! Yeah! You're that fucking cool!" He loved that game, overly gory shooter and a campy series of slasher flicks._

_Still, you weren't convinced, "Then why don't I have a valentine?" Convinced that to be a whole person you needed a partner, an other half._

_"I'll be your valentine!" Jeff all but jumped at the chance to offer himself up with shouted enthusiasm._

_Peaking up from your knees, meeting his eyes with your teary ones. You probably looked terrible but the suggestion was just so heartfelt to you. "Really?"_

_"Yes!" He barked, face a bright pink, the tips of his ears the same color._

_"You're so sweet Jeff." You unraveled out of yourself as he blinked, looking to your shifting form with expectant wonder. Returning his hug and putting your head on his shoulder, his hair sticking your your tear soaked cheeks. He was such a good friend. Neither of you having to go through the holiday without a valentine._

_It was his turn to ask the question, "Really?"_

_"Really." You reaffirmed, holding each other tight. Silently enjoying the moment for an untraceable amount of time, feeling protected and cared for. "Sorry I'm such a downer sometimes." Suddenly confessing, guilt eating away at you._

_"_ _Don't be. You're super fucking awesome to be around. I could like, never think that you're a little bitch."_

**\----**

"He loves you, it makes sense." Liu proclaimed as you looked at him as if he was from a different planet. 

_Tip, tap, tip, tap._

You didn't want to look at him for a second, needing a break from his delusional ass. Turning your head over your shoulder, stepping even further away from Liu. Increasing the gap between someone you knew so well in the past, someone you were the least terrified of. Rather being closer to the man eater than your old friend. Hell, you'd take sitting in Jane's dinky bed over hearing him out any longer. He still kept his hand on your shoulder even though you tried to signal that you didn't want him to touch you, taking a step with you. Rolling your shoulder and jerking away didn't work on him at all. Willfully ignorant. 

The shifting beam of light and her soft footsteps alerted you that she was coming, Natalie. Calling out as she came closer, "Heard you bitches talkin', what's the fucking situation?" Flicking her phone flashlight off as you wondered how they charged those things. There was a lot of things that didn't make sense, but that was one of the smaller things that caught your attention. 

It was weird to see her out of her usual dress as well. Gray sweats, and a white tank top hanging loosely off her broad shoulders. Short brown hair thrown every which way, bedhead or more accurately, hammock head. Not wearing the aviator, toned arms littered with miscellaneous spots of lightness or uneven flesh, scars. Probably from being a dumbass or people who she'd killed fighting back. Giving the wicked woman the hell she deserved. The dumbest part of her outfit were the blue socks with little cartoon giraffes peaking out of her baggy pants. It just didn't match her aesthetic in the slightest.

Her eye fell upon you in an instant, a hateful gaze. Coming up behind you, so you swiveled around to fully face her. Meeting her head on, standing inches away, imposingly staring you down. God, you hated eye contact, but you just wanted to be taken seriously by these people. Gain some stupid and fucked up shred of respect from them. If you were going to be kidnapped you wanted your captors to be less shitty to you. 

After a few moments she obnoxiously asked, "Are you feeling like less of a little bitch?" Said the crazy murderer, shoving her hands into her sweats pockets.

"I feel fine." You flatly replied, short with her but not going to test her patience. You wanted to but you weren't that dumb. 

It continued for an uncomfortably long time. You felt your skin scrawling, the eye contact way too intimate. You had to look away at something else, like the corner of the doorway. Very interesting sight and so much better than looking at her. The _tick tocking_ continued on and on as she took in the reaction. 

Suddenly patting the side of your face a few times, mockingly affectionate, "Good."

Gritting your teeth and pressing your lips into a line as she pushed past you, intentionally bumping your shoulder with hers. Having you stumble a moment before regaining your footing, turning to her as she made her way over to Jane's dinky bed. Throwing herself upon the mattress, having the woman who already occupied it jump up with the force. Slamming back onto the mattress and turning her mask to Natalie for a few seconds. Probably disappointed, maybe pissed, perhaps happy to see her. 

"Okay really though," Natalie spoke as you rubbed away at the fabric that she touched, contaminated, "Why's the whole fucking circus here, babe?" She asked, leaning on Jane, putting her head on her shoulder and looking at whatever she was doing on the Chromebook. 

"I don't know." Jane replied, acting like she hadn't just talked over some logistics with Jack. Listening in on Liu's ramblings, further defining your usefulness to them. 

Liu ignored the rudeness, continuing to preach to you while looking to the fucked up and evil couple with a gross warmth, "Loves the only way we can prevail."

Sounding like some wispy Disney channel original movie type of shit. You gave him a look, stomach twisting and turning. Starting to piece things together, feeling wrong all over. Hoping he'd say he was joking and take it all back. But you knew that he believed everything he was saying, deeply delusional, sick.

He kept going despite your mental wishes, all you could do was watch as he made himself out to be worse. Becoming less of an ally by the second. "And Jeff had always loved you. I'm sure that he still does." Stiffly smiling with scarred cheeks, marks his own brother gave to him in a state of pure mania. 

"I'm sure that you still feel the same too." Assuming things about you that weren't true. Never was. Never will be.

Rocking the boat wasn't a good option or a path you wanted to take. You weren't very combustive as a person and preferred to blend into the background. Shy, reserved, not good socially with very few friends. But even you had to stand up to this, you wouldn't let him put words like that in your mouth. Still confusedly caring for Jeff but the suggestion was wrong, wrong, _wrong_.

"No." Short and not so sweet. As stern you could muster. Looking back with more social experience, romantic experience, you had a bit of a hunch that he harbored a puppy crush for you. Nothing more. Nothing less. A lot of people fall for their best friend at some point. It happened Bio and Mom, now they were together. A lot of the time it doesn't work out like that but still, it was a common occurrence. 

"You had to have liked him," Liu suggested with a smile that just filled your guts with more dread, "You both were so close."

"No." You dully replied once more. You saw the two as friends, practically your brothers.

Natalie gasped, looking up from Jane's shoulder and to the scene unfurling before her, "Ooh, the drama."

You glared weakly at her, feeling a headache coming on. "Well, compared to your past relationships-" Liu paused and rethought his words as you stared him down with clear irritation. He knew personal details about you, _stalker._ "Wait," He stared again. somewhat switching the topic, "You're not dating anyone right now are you?"

Like that even mattered. If you did have a partner then he probably wouldn't care like with everything else, proceeding with his self serving plan anyways. You weren't and he probably knew that, just putting up a front of asking to try to look better. Look like more of a caring friend than someone who was broken on the inside. "That's none of your business."

"Ooh! Did you hear that Jane?" Natalie commentated like you were a source of entertainment over a human person. You weren't surprised. None of them treated you like a person. All you were was something to laugh at, use, and eat. "She pulled the _'that's none of ya beeswax'_ type of shit! Ooh!" Obnoxious.

Jane may have not found it as amusing as her partners but she did point out, "That doesn't matter. As long as she can get Jeff fired I don't care what her relationship to him is. Actually, wait. I do, can we stop talking about that worm being in love? Thanks."

You agreed with her on that one. If something gets the job done, then do that thing. However, you weren't obligated to reconnect with Jeff after this. You didn't want to live him and Liu in their little fantasy world. You preferred living in reality, living with Noah. Being forced to be with somebody was wrong, abusive, disgusting. You didn't want any part of it. Any of this, but that was just salt in the open wound. 

"Jeff is not a worm." Liu acknowledged the woman outside of planning conversations rarely. 

Though he did ignore her blunt reply of, "You're right. He's a feral gutter rat."

"(Y/n)," He turned to you, going to continue to share his delusions once more, "He _needs_ you. Just do this for him and this'll all be over sooner."

"Oh my god," Natalie whispered very loudly, "This dude's fucking crazy."

"I know." Jane flatly agreed. Even they could tell that the suggestion made you deeply uncomfortable. Though they wanted to use your connection to his advantage and do the admittedly right thing to do, the trio wasn't trying to force you into a relationship with Jeff.

Honestly, now that they were at least a little bit on your side, it did spur you on to add a sharp edge to your words, "I don't have to do that. I don't want to that."

"You could be happy again!" You were happy with your normal life. All Liu did was make you resent him more and more, rage boiling in your blood, "I know what your past relationships haven't gone too well but I'll give Jeff an earful if he gives you any trouble. We both know he's not the best with mushy stuff." Laughing softly as he recalled his brother's abrasive nature. Regaling casually how he stalked you, he knew things about you that he shouldn't. Two weeks back you were venting to Noah about past relationships. How they made you feel shitty and terrible because they never went too well for you. Getting cheated on, broken up with, talked down to for not processing things the same way as your partner. It sucked. It made you feel unlovable sometimes. Like you were horrible and always the problem, sure you made mistakes and fucked it up yourself sometimes, but still. You told a friend in confidence about your struggles with relationships, how love burned you badly, and here Liu was telling you of your own experiences. Trying to put a dirty bandaid on a festering wound.

You just stared at him. Awe-stricken by the audacity. Jeff was cool back in the day. Jeff confused you now. You knew for sure you harbored no romantic feelings for him. He smelled like he pissed his pants, was an alcoholic, and a drug addict. Not something you'd ever looked for in a partner.

You didn't know how else to spell it out for him, trying your best to get the point through his thick skull, "Liu. I have _never_ had feelings for Jeff."

As much as it pissed you off, going on and on about wanting to go home might get Liu a bit volatile. You needed his 'friendship' as much as possible, but some things simply wouldn't fly. Him being nice to you because of the past and what he thinks the future would be was something you were going to take heavy advantage of. But it literally made you sick to your stomach to think about being forced into that kind of thing.

"He is a hideous bastard. I understand." Jane agreed, not missing a change to get a good dig in on the man. You appreciated the back up in an odd way. 

"Tch, yeah." Natalie agreed, "Have you seen the guy?"

"No." Jack cut in only to snarkily remind everyone that he was blind but not really, "But I've sensed it and _wow."_

You did have to agree, albeit internally. Still wanting Liu on your side and not wanting him to get forceful or angry. You were still in a hostage situation after all. Had to be smart. You'd admit, Jeff looked worse for wear. Having scars didn't make someone ugly. For you it was the lack of eyelids, yellowed teeth, and bad attitude, if you could even call murderous fits of mania that.

Liu's grip on your shoulder scarily intensified with their insults. Other hand in a clenched fist, shaking. Containing himself from whipping the gun from the holster and putting a bullet between all of their eyes. He didn't, staying as civil as he could.

Though that didn't mean he'd be rational, "Well, love can develop even in the strangest of places." A dark undertone to his voice, a weight you couldn't identity. It made your skin crawl. He kept on going, "I know that it'll happen because I know how much you want to be loved."

"Ooh shit." Natalie commented once more as Jane browsed the screen before her. Tuning the lot of you out for a moment to concentrate. 

You really hated how he was using overheard words not meant for his ears as points. "I am loved."

You didn't need a partner to feel loved. Even though it sucked sometimes to feel like you weren't romantically compatible with anybody. You had friends who loved you and you loved yourself even if it was hard sometimes. Though, you didn't push it too hard. Liu seemed to be at the end of his tether. Just letting him know underhandedly that you didn't need or want Jeff's love. 

He hummed, sounding unconvinced. Before he could continue to push his ideas of your love life onto you, Jane spoke up and slammed the laptop shut.

"Found the next target," Spoken with a confident certainty, "Everybody get ready and meet at the car in five." 

"Got it." Natalie hopped up and out of the bed, fiddling with her phone to turn its flashlight back on. Everyone had one but you, destroyed under Jack's stylish boots on a train. Cut off from the outside world, from your friends. You wondered what the police did when they didn't find you. What was in the news about you, if people were searching tirelessly. How Noah was handling the situation. Probably staying up day and night not getting a wink of sleep. Calling your phone over and over despite you never picking up. You'd go home to him soon.

Natalie intentionally brushed by you once more with a smirk, dimples prominent on her freckled and scarred cheeks. Jane got up from the bed, and knelt by the suit case.

Turning her masked face to the three of you, "Do you mind?" Ah, right. There was no door and the bathroom was a ways away. For efficiency sake she'd change right here. "Also Jack I swear to god-"

"You swear to me?" Jack tapped his chest with a pointed nail, laughing. 

"Ugh." You could practically hear her rolling her eyes, "Don't take ten minutes to put on that stupid outfit." You assumed she was referring to the trench coat. The whole ensemble seemed ridiculously ornate. The pants intentionally tucked into the boots of which he had to secure every strap of. Then there was his coat, securing those straps but intentionally leaving the bottom ones open. The little band on his arm where he kept a scalpel at all times. The mask, the hood, the fingerless gloves adorned with useless straps. It all screamed _drama._

He pointedly 'looked' at her for a few moments with an expressionless face. Smiling just barely and spinning on his heels, walking away without confirming or denying that he would or would not put on the outfit.

Jane sighed, "Oh my god."

Liu's grip grew less weirdly possessive and lightly pulled you back, "I'm already ready to roll. (Y/n) let's head to car together." You had nothing to grab as the only thing you owned was your bomber. Liu hadn't dressed himself in pajamas like the girls had, wearing a casual outfit with the scarf you heavily associated with him and a gun strapped to his hip. 

You didn't want to invade Jane's privacy as you had basic human decency, unlike Liu. Going with the man who was starting to make you more uncomfortable as the days went by.

Sitting in the passengers seat once again, fidgeting with mothman on a skateboard. The last time you fiddled with it you were talking to Noah. You missed him but you were here, in a car full of assholes. Jack took nine minutes to put his outfit on and clamber into the back of the van. Jane wasn't very amused by him, giving him a lecture that he replied to simply with a, "No." You couldn't see Jane's face but you could have sworn she was going to choke him.

The drive wasn't as long, thank god. A little under two hours, which felt like absolutely nothing compared to the last trip. Yet it was still grueling. Sitting as far away in your seat as possible from Liu. Head pressed against the window, trying to get more sleep. Exhausted and afraid of what was next.

Port Chester, New York. Just a ways away from the big apple. Where Jane said the next target should be. Able to analyze whatever data she scoured herself over. It was too fast honestly, but it also felt so slow. Just seeing Jeff the other day, the long drive back, the down time, now the van was pulling up a long stretch of driveway. Time was a tricky thing, Natalie's eye _tick tocking_ away.

Liu didn't feel the need to hide the van this time. You weren't waiting for Jeff to show up this time. Jeff was already in that house. He was waiting for you unknowingly. You just hoped that this time he didn't want to gut you, but you also hoped he didn't talk to you like that little boy. Conflicting, confusing, terrifying. 

They dispersed around the house. Jack going to the back, trying to not shake the fucking Earth with his feet. Liu giving you a not so reassuring smile before dipping around to the side of the house. Natalie running up to the gutter pipe and climbing up without a problem, so that's how she got on the roof. Huh. Jane stayed with you for the most part, a hand on your back and pushing you up the porch steps. You supposed they were all going to come in at different points, planning for different scenarios. Maybe looking to protect you if you ran to a certain area.

Her touch wasn't your favorite thing in the world, but it was infinitely better than Liu's. You may not see eye to masked eye, but at least she wasn't delusionally trying to force you to fall in love with a murderous man with a bald spot.

She spoke lowly as you stood at the front door, "Don't do anything stupid." With that, she removed her now gloved hand from your back. Wood creaking under her weight as she made her way down the steps, going to hide just around the corner. Giving the appearance that you came alone. Unarmed. 

The weight in your stomach was painfully heavy. Heart beating a mile a minute, ears straining to hear voices. You only heard two, muffled by the thick door and distance. One of them sounded scared. They were going to die and all you could do was stand and stare at the supposedly unlocked door. Too scared to come in and maybe help another human being because of some emotional baggage. There was also the basic instinct of not wanting to fucking die. 

Hands shaking, you made a decision for yourself. You wouldn't go in unarmed. Pulling out the back of the pin and removing it from your bomber. A sharp but pitifully short needle like back to a cutesy Jersey Devil. Clutched inside your fist, tiny 'blade' sticking out between your fingers. Feeling not very safe from it'spresence or their protection. Despite the fear, you reached for the doorknob. Knowing that you couldn't delay the inevitable. Might as well and possibly help someone while you're at it.

The door opened up with a groaning creak. Opening it wide to see a lit living room and stair well, a doorway leading to what you believed was a kitchen or dining room. Immediately the voices grew louder, " _Don't! God, please!"_ Frowning deeply, shaking, but forcing yourself to take a step inside. Leaving the door wide open for you to bolt out of any second. 

A voice replied to him in an annoyed sneer, "Ugh, seriously dude stop with the begging!" Scene queen, Nina. You'd yet to hear Jeff.

Their footsteps were loud, a shadow appearing from the open doorway before a man bolted through it. 

Laying eyes upon your relatively normal appearance and calling out to you, "Help m-" Immediately his entire body slacked, everything going limp. Inertia moving him forward a moment before falling to the floor.

**Thud.**

"What a baby." Nina commented as you stared in horror at the body at the floor. Sudden death by a knife embedded in the back of his skull. Despite the fact that she was a few feet behind him, throwing the thing with a deadly accuracy. The force it would have had to take to perfectly pierce thick bone like that was immense and terrifying. Buried in his skull almost all the way to it's handle, studded with colorful stickers. Smiling at you with lifeless black dots.

"Oh man," She cooed, grabbing your attention, "Look what the skankbag magnet dragged in."

Scared, panicked, not thinking straight but also a complete fucking know it all, "That's not how that saying goes." 

Nina cackled, beads on her arms audibly shifting while she made her way to the man. Splattered with blood already, someone else already dead. Where was Jeff?

"Well gee, aren't you just the biggest fucking galaxy brain on the planet." Mocking you while you stood frozen under her artificial blue gaze. No ones eyes could be that much of a solid saturated color naturally, they had to be contacts. 

You stood your ground, shaking and about to piss yourself but you stood your ground. Just get the job done. Whatever the job entailed. Oh god, they didn't you directions. What the fuck were you supposed to do here?

"Uhhhh." You blinked, watching her kneel over the person, harshly yank the knife from their skull. Blood and chunks of brain sliding down the metal mass, her elongated smile shifting sickly while she stared. Don't say a dumb thing to make yourself feel better. Don't do it. Don't fucking do it. " _I'll eat both of your hands?"_

Fuck.

"Hey uhh, what the fuck?" Standing, idly flipping the blade in her hand. Questing your behavior after killing a man. "Actually, don't answer, I don't care." Stepping over the mans bleeding skull, feet away with no barrier between you. Stomach dropping, no one coming to help when you were in clear peril. Grip on the pin tightening. "You're here for my boo, right?"

"Your what?" Eyes darting around, looking for signs of one of them having entered the house. Glancing outside, not even seeing Jane in the doorway, hoping she was still just around the corner.

"Jeff." She barked, taking a step closer, brandishing the blade. "He's not here and I'm not gonna let your," Voice raising exponentially, _"Stupid dumb whore self take my man from me!"_

She was like Liu but the opposite. Assuming feelings, projecting ideas onto you when they simply weren't true. Maybe she wasn't as up her own ass, maybe she'd listen, you thought while staring down a person willing to murder like it wasn't even shit. "I don't love Je-"

**_Thunk._**

It was right beside your head. Embedded in the door. Another perfect throw, that if it was aimed a little to the left then you'd be dead meat. And still, no one came to help you. Were they sure she wouldn't hurt you that much? To you it seemed like she didn't like you in the slightest.

Breath caught in your throat, staring at the knife in the door. Wanting to run. If Jeff wasn't here then your forced company would gain nothing from this. You weren't allowed to make your hasty escape, the woman throwing herself at you. 

Back slammed against the door, her towering over you, she was so fucking tall. Both hands on either side of you, practically on top of you. She smelled like blood and bubblegum perfume. The burns on her chin looked even worse up close. Wearing red lipstick hastily applied, even on her flat and scarred bottom lip.

"You don't even deserve," She grabbed the knife as instinct kicked in, there was no other way as she growled, " _To speak his name._ "

Nina was going to kill you. The door your back was forced upon shuddering as she yanked the knife from it. Looking for a good place to sink her blade into you while you threw your fist upward. As fast as you could possibly muster. 

You'd never punched somebody so hard. You'd never felt a sickening give and resistance from the flesh of their eyeball. Opening your hand on the fly, using the ball of your palm to further sink the needle right into her fakely blue eye. Screaming like a banshee the entire time, lashing out only because you were so afraid. A cornered animal was always the most dangerous, a cornered nerdy sweetheart could pack a punch too. Well, and a Jersey Devil pin to the eye.

Her head knocked back with the force, screeching out, _"Hostia puta!"_ Hands instinctively coming up to her face as you tore your hand away. One eye wide with visceral rage, the other a Jersey Devil. 

"Oh my god!" You screamed in shock at your own actions, having never done something so violent to another human being. Oh shit, were you a bad person now? What the fuck were morals? What was going on? 

Throwing herself back blindly, still screaming obscenities. Nina may have been a super strong killer, blood thirsty and with a wild sense of fashion, but she could obviously still feel the agony of having her eye pierced. Tipping over the shoes sitting on a mat by the door. 

**Thud.**

Falling on her ass, hands clutched over her eye. Knife forgotten beside her. 

"OH! Oh shit!" You shouted, hands clutching onto and lightly pulling at your hair _, you did that._ It was instinct but still, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Apologizing on the fly, used to saying sorry for just about anything. Taking up too much space, saying hi in a weird way, stabbing someone was due for an apology. 

"Girl!" Nina clicked her tongue while wood creaked, footsteps approaching from the stairs, "I was gonna stab you! Have some self respect! Shit!" Fingers curling as she shakily started to pull the thing out, "This is nowhere as near as bad as that big blue slutbag but _carajo-"_ Shuddering in pain as she kept on pulling, you cringing at the sight with gritted teeth. _"Whatever."_ Fully out, pin thrown aside, needle bloody, her eye screwed shut. Watery streaks of blood, tears, and gore streaking down her cheek. Going to grab the knife, "I'm still going to make sure that you get the fucking message," _Click, clack, tip, tap, "_ That Jeff is fucking _mine. Forever and ever, till we die._ " 

You felt sick to your stomach, hand slapping over your mouth while she dazedly stood. Jane walking past you while Natalie's distinct footsteps and _tick tocking_ were heard from the stairway. A sharp cackle, gruff and prideful, " _Holy fucking shit! Newbie's first hit!"_

Where the fuck were they earlier? Why come in now? If you were them, you'd constantly be hovering around you, protecting you from Jeff's crazy girlfriend.

"Aha! I can not fucking believe this shit!" The woman took a running start, pouncing off of the top step while Jane approached the colorfully dressed woman. They looked like counterparts, one goth, one scene. Both burnt and dangerous woman.

Nina began with a sneer, "Ah, fucking goodie goodie is here. What'cha gonna try 'n do to me this time?"

**Thump!**

Landing right at your side perfectly fine with a twisted grin, eye glinting down at you as she whispered, _"How's it feel?"_

Slack jawed, you could only watch Jane as she approached Nina. Liu and Jack still nowhere in sight. Your hands were shaking with fear and adrenaline, you couldn't believe you just did that. Empathy may have not been your strongest point but still, you'd never done something so heinous. Further questioning your morals. 

"Gonna behead me again? Feed me to some fucking dogs again? That was super bitchy of you by the way." Nina babbled uncensored whilst backing away from the woman. Not wanting any part in getting her ass further kicked. Seemingly intimidated by the woman even if she seemed to be disgustingly strong. 

"No." Jane drawled, fists curled, ready to deliver a one hit knock out punch to Nina's jaw.

"Come on (Y/n), spill the fucking beans! How's it feel?" Natalie pestered you, elbowing your side like you were somehow buddies. On more of an equal plain now that you'd caused harm, of which she deemed impressive, to another human being. 

_"I've got plans for you."_ Jane lowly informed the woman as she defensively brandished the blade. Vision freshly impaired and disoriented. 

"Don't even fucking try me you fake titted, bimbo-whore-bitch, fucking prep." Nina spat hatefully at the clearly goth woman. The use of the term prep was one you hadn't heard in years. The preface of 'fucking' reminded you of Jeff. His callous speech patterns rubbing off on the girl.

None of this felt real. Where was Jeff? Killing someone else? Did you fail? Was the dead man on the floor your fault? You stabbed somebody, shouldn't you go to jail or something?

An arm dressed in dull green threw itself around your shoulder uncharacteristically, leaning her weight into you so hard you almost fell. You looked up to her, losing your shit, but confused. She was pissed about you disrespecting Jane but she looked so fucking proud that someone as straight laced as you had it in you to hurt another. Maybe seeing you in distress was enough suffering from you that she wanted. Getting her fill of what she thought you deserved, now getting all buddy-buddy with you because you followed basic instinct.

"Ooh, you're gonna watch this, Killer. Janey's about to rock this bitch's whole week." She grinned down at you before looking with sickly loving gaze to the pair about to rip each other's throats out. Your stomach sank at the nickname. So much worse than baby.

And rock her she did. 

Grabbing the girl's wrist as she desperately thrust the blade at her tit. Harshly gripping the plastic beads, twisting Nina's entire arm. Earning a shriek of pain from her as her hand was forced to release the blade. Throwing her other hand at Jane's masked face. Her head snapping to the side with the force but Jane would not be deterred, growling. Throwing a gloved fist right into the center of her fucked up face. A sharp sound of impact, Nina's head knocking back, body limply following her head's path downward. One hit knock out, just like she did to you.

"Huh." You idly babbled, still shaking and your body felt heavy. Your mental effort shifting to not passing out in the butch woman's arms. You'd rather not have to lean on her for support but you found yourself putting some of your weight on her while babbling, "Okay, what? Okay, what?"

Natalie didn't know how to respond. "Hey uh, Janey I think there's something going on with this one." 

Eyes on the floor, not looking at the woman who grunted in effort, "If she passes out just carry her to the van."

Footsteps, "Hey! Oh- Is (Y/n) okay?" Coming closer, Liu. You didn't want him to touch you. Probably just finding a subtle way inside the house. _Way_ too late. The action happened in a matter of a minute or so, but it didn't feel like that at all.

"Good," You slurred, further leaning into Natalie, "Gimme a sec. Clock lady helping, yes."

"Don't fucking look at me all weird like that Woods. She's the one that came onto _me!"_

_**Shatter!**_

"Welcome to the party lard ass! Only took you forever." Natalie chided as the floor started to shake. He couldn't find a quiet way inside so he just said fuck it and broke a window.

"Mission over?" Jack ignored the woman, Jane's heels clicking heavily on the floor.

Grunting out a, "Yep. Different result than expected, but I got a plan."

"Do tell." Jack inquired as you started to regain yourself, shifting your weight more onto your own feet. "Or did you come up with this just now and don't really know the details just yet?"

"Get in the car."


	20. 19 - Only Got Eyes For You

**Abuse Mentions**

You don't think you'd ever get used to this. Sitting outside Claire's while Liu worked away at tying Nina to the piercing chair. Jack decided to dump the responsibility of doing so onto the man last second. You couldn't help but feel a shred of gratefulness toward the gray giant. 

At the very least you didn't have to deal with the 'romantic' connotations that came from seeing Jeff. Not having to get a big talk from Liu about how did you good and how much Jeff loves you. Though you did leave the house a little but more traumatized. Hands shaking from adrenaline, able to hobble your terrified ass to the passenger seat and rightfully ride shotgun. Even if you didn't enjoy being near Liu you still would rather sit in your own seat versus deal with the chaos that was the back of the car. Two hours of nonstop bickering. Nina occasionally waking up and Jane knocking her lights out.

After the initial shock of stabbing someone in the eye, you calmed yourself down with the breathing technique, rubbing the mothman on a skateboard. Thinking of Noah, thinking of home. Reasoning with yourself that Nina deserved it, that she was going to stab you. You shouldn't feel bad, she had said in her words, you should have more self respect. It had to be done so you could keep on living. You just hoped that police investigators would find your DNA or something. Maybe the pin was still there, evidence that you weren't dead yet. Evidence that might just be damning toward you. 

Standing in the softly warm light, just a bit past dawn. It was just the five of you. Jane, Nat, Jack, Rake, and you. The mystery gang straight out of hell with their misfortune plus one. Nat and Jane talking back and forth, Jack and Rake clicking and talking back and forth. Rake horribly scratching the floor with his claws to reply to Jack. A smiley face since he didn't seem to be able to do facial expressions too well. You just standing there, fidgeting with a pin, shaking your other hand and rocking your heels into the floor. Trying not to echo Natalie being dumb. Liu tying the woman down, softly humming.

Spacing out just so you could feel fine for three seconds. Trying to shake off Liu's gratitude directed at you for helping so well. Way too flatly chipper for the situation. Actually able to escape for a few moments, thinking to playing bad co-op games with Bio and Mom. Switching between domestic fantasy to memories of late night conversations over your group chat, them dishing out relationship advice that you couldn't seem to get working. 

A tap on your shoulder pulled you from their voices in your headphones and white texts on a gray background. Turning, careening your head up to face the person who tore you away from momentary bliss. Jack, but why?

Natalie snickered at you, "Jesus, took you long enough." Spacing out was great and all but doing it around others intentionally or not sometimes would set you up for embarrassment. People thinking that you were spacey, which you admittedly were, but that was treated like a bad thing by a lot of people. You immediately felt foolish for indulging in the habit but Natalie seemed to be the only one laughing, probably at your discomfort in the first place. 

It was held out to your chest, blood wiped off it's point. All you had to say to the offering in his gloved hand was, "What?"

Apparently he'd said something to you before you 'woke up', "You dropped this." Not forcing his hand toward you but not yet taking it away. Giving you a choice to reject of accept one of your own belongings. The few that you had. Something that was a comfort but something that now was associated with bloodshed. With standing up and defending yourself, having a backbone of your own volition. Fighting for you and not being defenseless, not only hiding behind others. 

At your reluctance to accept but still raising a hand to grab the thing anyway, frozen, Jack spoke, "Take it. It'll be a reminder for later that you're capable of hurting people," Your stomach sank, hurting somebody seemed to be some kind of weird initiation to these people, "It only gets easier from here."

Having more vertebrae added to your growing backbone. Character development that you were iffy on. Preferring to be a nice person and not fucking stab people in the eyes. That was stupid judgement though, humans are multifaceted. You could hurt someone in self dense and still be an okay person. Villians have redeeming qualities, enough to make audiences love them. Accepting didn't automatically make you evil. It could be a symbol of pride for you, a reminder that you're not weak or a coward. You're a rational human being who only fights when she has to. 

You took the pin. Dully saying, "Thanks." As you clipped it back into place. The needle just barely pricking into your skin Be careful, you thought, this could blow up right in your face.

The women mostly ignored the interaction, you idly listening in as there was nothing else to do, "I just can't believe that he wasn't there. I'm almost always right about him being a disgusting fucking rat."

Natalie shrugged, "Probably got drunk 'n forgot."

Sighing, "Of course. Men." Sounding exasperated at the concept of the opposite sex. Jack didn't pipe up, knowing that men weren't super cool sometimes. Especially Jeff. 

Natalie hummed, "Still, it's fucking weird. Back in the day he'd drop anything to go kill somebody. I- Hey newbie." You turned fully to her, softly glaring with one eye, other softly ticking down the time, "Quit listening in." She kept calling you that. Rather than a captive you were a recruit, a mocking friend. You were kind of given some free range, fed, not kept isolated in a cage, humanized. You got where some would think you had it good, but you still didn't want to fucking be here.

"I can't suddenly become deaf." Honestly, some people.

You earned a snicker from the woman, surprising as you were being straight forward and not funny. Was she mad? Was that one of those smiles that were sarcastic and you couldn't really tell if it was genuine or not? It would be beneficial to be more 'friendly' with them. Engage in conversation, let them get comfy, let them make mistakes. This time, you'd actually try to be funny.

Hesitantly starting off, "Uh, trying." You waited a few moments in mild silence while her clock counted down the seconds before you continued, "I think uh, I failed?"

Natalie didn't burst out laughing but she did cackle just a bit. Success! You were kind of funny to this woman. Now all you had to do was keep it up and wait for your chance. Although, you were still afraid of what Jack would do if he caught you in the act.

"Hey," Her voice erupted from inside of Claire's, groggy and worn, "Hey? _HEY! WHAT THE FUCK!?"_

Jane made her way into the rundown store, a snickering Natalie in tow. This time about Nina's suffering. Even though you were incredibly used to the weight upon your chest, the returned Jersey Devil made your jacket feel so much heavier. Especially in Nina's presence. There was more of a memory tied to it, the feel of pushing the pin into her eye, the scream, the sight of her yanking it out. A badge of honor for you. You'd never stuck it to someone like that. Some sick murderous fuck who deserved it. 

You followed them, chest slightly puffed out. Jack behind you with Rake's clicking claws make it apparent he was along for the ride as well. Liu standing by the chair, the girl completely tied down and struggling fruitlessly against layers of rope. As strong as she was, some things were a lot harder when restrained properly. She looked like Liu did when he was losing his shit in the car, like a worm. Tied head to toe. Not as direct and pointed as Jack's knots, but they sure got the job done.

There was oddly no bruising on her nose. You had only gotten a glimpse of her deformed face in the car through the rear view. A giant red and purple welt had erupted on her nose. Now there wasn't even shit. Completely fine. Her eye however was still screwed shut, dried blood resting upon her cheek, mascara runny and ruined. Open eye glancing around, like having the other busted so bad was like a normal Tuesday for her. Still she wore a cringe, red stained lips curled inward.

_"Where the shit am I?!"_ Trashing about, not making any progress toward freedom.

"I'm the one who'll be asking the questions here." Jane lowly informed the scene woman. Jarring to be on the other side. Not being the fresh meat, most hated, most confused. 

"Uhm," Nina clicked her tongue, eye darting from person to person, "I like, don't care if you wanna have some girl talk just know that I'll totally eviscerate you and you and _YOU!"_ Single eye wide and boring into you, hateful, "You fucking stabbed me! Stupid slut whorebag, homewrecker, actually that was pretty cool, but like _fuck you!"_ The mixed signals were so strong. Hating your guts, complementing you, then ping-ponging back to hating you. Almost as indecisive as you could be.

Liu put his hand stiffly upon your shoulder. Approval. Her hate of you seemed to be affirmations of the sweetest caliber to him. The idea tumbling around in his muddled brain that you were head over heels for Jeff. Saying it so she'd stop barking at you and so Liu would stop touching you, "I don't have feelings for Jeff."

The proclamation catching unanimous attention, eyes, a clock, and dripping sockets all directed at you. Hopefully it finally sunk into some of their heads that you didn't love Jeff and _never_ would. Starting to take things you said more seriously with the knowledge that you could fight. Valuing violence over using your fucking brain. At least that's how you interpreted it.

Liu didn't get the memo, "I'm sure that you will in time." Acting like a friend consoling you, like it was a loss.

"Oh no she fucking won't! I'd rather eat all of my skin then let that bitch anywhere near him!" Growling, baring perfectly white teeth at you. Voice not shredded from smoking. Actually wearing a put together outfit, hair washed, skin smooth besides the scarring. How was someone like her with him?

Jane just wanted to get to the point, "Shut your mouth-"

"No! You shut your mouth!" Nina childishly retorted, jerking in her restraints.

"Amazing." Jack flatly commented whilst Natalie cackled at the woman. Turning blindly to Jane, "Why is she here?" The question of the hour.

"Well," Jane sighed, hands on her hips and leaning her weight onto her right leg, "I wanted to test something out. I have a hypothesis. If Jeff losses his partner," Pointing to the wiggling and screaming woman, "Then he'd only be seeing (Y/n) as a person who he doesn't want to blindly tear apart. He'd be damaged by this one's absence and seeing (Y/n) could have a harder impact. I believe that it just might make things go by a lot faster. Though, it may get rough," Speaking the end of the message with clear malice, "That is if he even cares about you." Mask pointed to Nina, cruelly implying things about their relationship. Satisfied with the angry snarl she drew from the woman.

"Look at you using the scientific method." Jack marveled. Rake sniffling idly at Nina's shoes, starting to nibble at the rubber tip one of them.

"The fuck is that?!" Nina yelped as Rake started to pull her shoe off rather carefully with his long fingers. Everyone ignored the two, letting Rake do as he pleased.

"Whoa, like some high school lab table shit, oh my god dude." Natalie whimsically blabbered.

"Ah, eliminate all romantic competition." Liu drew a delusional conclusion, "Then Jeff will only think of (Y/n) between missions. That is, if he doesn't already." You gave him a nasty side eye that he didn't pay attention to.

Jane hummed disapprovingly, "That's not what I said at all." Even she was catching on that Liu was fucked up, that you actually didn't still love Jeff in any way other than in a friend kind of way.

"I won't fucking allow it!" Jerking about as Rake brought the blue sneaker to the floor, ripping it to pieces in his maw. Flip flopping between the intelligence of a human and the instincts of a dog. " **He** won't allow it!" She barked desperately, a grin twisting upon her face as she realized aloud, " **He'll** get me out of here any second now!"

"Not going to happen." Deadpanning, Nina whipped her head to look to Jack as much as possible.

"What?"

Speaking with the sound of tearing and _tick tocking_ in the background, "As long as I'm around **he** can not remove you from the premises."

"Fucking pardon me?" Nina pointedly asked the not so gentle giant. You were getting second hand fear for her life talking to him like that. "That sounds like some seee-fee kind of shit."

"Sci-fi?" You inquired, unconsciously fidgeting with Jersey Devil.

"I don't care what that nerd shit is called! You can't stop me from being crazy fucking strong, loser!" She said while not escaping. 

He seemed to be in an alright mood, shrugging the hateful tone off, "I may not be able to stop some things but **he** can not save you here." Smiling ever so slightly. Even if she was crazy strong, all that rope bound so tight would be a bitch and a half to get out of without a knife. 

"Uhm, that makes no fucking sense." Snottily muttering from her bindings.

"I have an influence." He did not elaborate, you could see your confusion reflected in Nina's face.

But you sure would like him to, information was always nice to have. Knowing what you're up against and also it was just calming to learn about the weirder side of reality that'd only been recently exposed to you, "Like how?" 

"Radio station analogy." Was all the explanation you got, leaving you to mull over it while the scene before you continued.

Using what he said before as context, Nina being close to Jack meant that she could no longer 'hear' the feed from the other station. She couldn't be taken away due to the proximity. There had to be some sort of explanation though, that's what you were really after. How one could even have an influence over a being that granted people immortality? You wanted to know how this man-monster-possibly-alien thing worked. And if he was so powerful enough to have an invisible but potent influence, then why did he need to work with the others? He seemed smart enough, there was something that even he couldn't do with extra appendages and terrifying brute strength that the rest of you could.

Tuning back into the conversation you were faced with Nina loudly sighing, _"What do you waaaaant?"_ For once not insulting or biting anyone, just genuinely trying to get to the point. Perhaps calming down just enough to listen to what her purpose was. Get this whole debacle done and over with. 

"For you to stop your whining and answer my questions already." Jane shortly pointed out, tapping her foot impatiently on the torn carpet.

Huffing and rolling her eye, Nina boldly proclaimed, "What if I don't wanna? Like, what if I wanna stab (Y/n) in the chest when I get outta here?"

Everyone just looked at her a moment. Varying degrees of distaste and also your general horror at the thought of this crack pot wanting to hurt you when everyone else seemed to be okay with the idea too. Quickly tacking on something else whilst staring you down, " _Relájate,_ _I'm not gonna kill you._ I'm just gonna stab you like, not in the organs." 

Being stabbed anywhere sucked, you weren't put at any sort of ease. She spoke calmly, no longer snappily angry but more astute, soft spoken, switching on a dime because maybe she wasn't as stupid as she made herself out to be. Actually understanding that the threat of bodily harm was very real and if she kept acting the way that she was then something unsavory just might happen to her. 

"That's not going to happen." Jane shut the suggestion down. You felt only a tad safer, remembering who you were dealing with. Who was around you, unwilling to let her sink her blade into your flesh at least for now. It was nice to not have Jane's extreme hatred directed at you for once. Still feeling like a fish out of water standing side by side with all of these people. 

Nina groaned, "I know and it _sucks!"_ Voice peaking annoyingly before smoothly mellowing out, "Can't lay a hand on you actually, I'm just playin'." Casually truthful, flip-flopping harder than anyone you'd ever seen. You weren't sure if you believed her or not, "Jeff would like _soooooo_ super mega bash my head in a bunch of times if I hurt you."

"Shit, and here I thought you ugly fucks were dating." Natalie piped up after an eerily long time of not jabbering.

"Uhm," Sounding deeply offended, "We are?"

The group paused the half-baked interrogation. Love had never come easy to you, but even you knew that was wrong, messed up. You don't date someone then say something like that in all seriousness. Knowing Jeff then and know, she wasn't kidding.

"Oh my fucking god." Said Natalie, the hedonistic murderer with an equally messed up partner. The only thing the pair had on the other 'couple' was that they didn't harm one another.

As terrifyingly shitty as that was, her words bought you to a realization. Jeff didn't want you hurt and killed. At the very least by Nina. A chill crawling down your spine, sins of his adding up, stacking into a rotten pillar of hate, higher and higher. It was hard to imagine him asking her not to harm you out of a nostalgic love when you remembered those words so clearly, _"I'm gonna watch the light in your eyes die when I kill and piss on everything you've ever loved."_ Still, it was hard to completely grasp that he'd want to do it himself. That he wanted to kill you.

Maybe Liu's suggestions were rubbing off on you.

Stomach painfully clenching, dread making you sick. You violently shook the thoughts away, echoing Rake's scarily cute, _"Brrrip. Brrrip. Brrrip."_

Next to you a quietly spoken connection was being thought aloud, "He's protecting you." Green eyes sparkling with a sick joy, voice growing stronger, "(Y/n), did you hear that?" You couldn't keep the frown off your lips as he continued, you tried to dro

wn him out but you couldn't, "He's trying to protect you!" Sweetly laughing, confirmation, validation, emotional intoxication, "Jeff lo-"

"Alright." Jane sternly cutting him off, "I've heard enough." You couldn't internally thank her enough. Though she hadn't pulled the weight from your back, she at the very least was able to speak coldly enough to momentarily shut the man up. "I'm getting back to work," As she spun on her heel you mentally pleaded with her to stay, "I suggest you all do the same."

"What about her?" Blurting the question out without thinking, just needing her to keep Liu's words at bay a little longer. Even if that meant being around her, strong, scary, and frankly quite bossy.

Mask turning over her shoulder for once not striking an icy fear into your heart but instead it brought a dim hope.

"She won't be leaving. I'll get to it later, for now I need to find where that sewer rat is currently holed up." A hope quickly crushed by the sickening sound of high heels on the torn carpet, her form of skin and satin disappearing. 

Nina had been difficult the entire time. Not really complying, just focusing on her hate for you and infatuation for Jeff. Jane was fiercely determined to get information, hard headed and even harder assed. Still, she needed time to cool off. You assumed that she was going back to her dinky Chromebook to magically locate Jeff as soon as possible. If she took a break then she'd come back with a clear head and an actual list of questions. Not forgetting that she had to be deeply disgusted by the idea that Jeff, the man who murdered her family, could be in a relationship. All while Liu kept on pushing his romantic fucked up agenda onto you.

The loud gurgling yanked you from the confines of your mind. Jack had a hand over his stomach, "Hm, think I'm going to get something to eat." Turning to take his leave as well, Rake perking up from the mess of a shoe, "Be back in awhile," 'Looking' to each of you and giving individual goodbyes, "Nat," The woman huffing and giving him the finger, "Kid," Nina jerked in her restraints, "Snack." Your default nickname with the man eater had fallen into place. The connotations of it didn't exactly give you the warm and fuzzies.

Head snapping the to exit, Rake clambering awkwardly beside the man. Footsteps shaking the ground and nails dragging sharply across the floor. Leaving out Liu intentionally. Even he was put off by the guy. So much so that he didn't want to call him a mildly irritating or horrifying nickname.

Loudly cackling, "With him gone I'll make my grand escape!"

Distant and flat, "No you won't." Another thing said by one of them that actually provided you with a sense of relief. Once again plummeting when you realized he was walking away and leaving you a little more alone with Liu. Unsure if his 'influence' would hold up with the uncertain distance. Fear of a knife in your chest nagging at your gut.

Two firm pats were delivered to your back by a stigmata bearing palm. "I think I'm going to try to help Jane," Glasgow smile stiffly rising, "Wanna find him faster. Two heads as they say." An almost blissful tone, just on the cusp of cloud nine at the idea of Jeff harboring feelings for you.

You felt sick.

"I'll be off." Cheerily speaking, turning and leaving. Relief and a heavy dread in his wake. He'd changed so much. Scarred, broken, delusional in the worst kind of way. It was tragic how much he still held onto the innocence of his brother. It was stupid how you still held onto it too. Even stupider that you couldn't fully condemn both of them in your mind yet. Through the years you'd been able to smack the label of hate onto your feelings for them. Always aware of the lingering softness, warm memories comforting and tormenting you. Now though, you were having a hard time labeling your feelings either way. Confused when faced with them both after all this time.

"Is that guy like," Nina's voice played through the broken down store, "Okay?" You were still fixated on his retreating form, a noticeable pep in his step.

Breathily cackling but scratching her head, Natalie replied, "Fuck no."

"Total creeper right?" Gibbering like she hadn't just talked about wanting to kill you. Brushing off the punishment she'd get if she laid a hand on you. Flip flopping between moods. You couldn't tell which was genuine, if they both were, or one was her acting.

"Oh yeah," Natalie shook her head in disbelief at the fallen angel, "For sure."

Even _she_ was ironically aware of how fucked up Liu's plans for you were. Nina confused you a lot. The respect comment, the threats to stab you then somewhat siding with you. Not wishing for his ideas to come to fruition. Perhaps out of a desire to keep Jeff to herself romantically. Though you hoped it was just her being good natured, as much as you doubted it. She was wound tight around his grimy finger, darkly devoted. It was sad and disgusting.

"Ay you-"

"Me?" Rotating your body to face the women, tensing when you momentarily met her eye. An intense feeling of déjà vu tugging at the back of your mind.

Rolling her eye with a dramatically exasperated sigh, "Who do you think?"

"Uh," Rubbing the edge of a pin beneath your fingernail, "Me."

Natalie snickered while Nina spoke, "No duh. Anyway like," Stained lips morphing into a disapproving grimace, eye flickering to the door Liu just disappeared out of, "Even you gotta admit, that guy's _weird."_

Liu had done you many wrongs. Bringing you here, subjecting you to his shit. Still though, you'd said your piece and it did nothing. She was trying to criticize him while also being in Jeff's corner, just as, if not more, devoted to him. When you thought of Jeff your feelings grew muddied, words and feelings towards Liu catching in your throat.

Sneering and huffing out a wicked crack of a laugh, " _Jeff always said that you were spineless."_ Below you but looking at your like you were the scum of the earth. Worse than her a fucking murderer. Flip flopping again, confusing and irritating you.

_"Spineless fucking brainless dumb ass."_ That's what he called you way back when. Angry that you didn't stand up for yourself in the seventh grade. You still remembered the disdain you felt for those words. How they wounded you, how you were tired of his abrasive tongue. You had a hard enough time, him being pissy with you didn't help. Despite him chiding you harshly to grow a backbone, you never stood up to him. Looking back, he was definitely trying to poke the bear. One that was hibernating. 

A frown twitching deep into your skin, not anymore. You were strong. The badge of cruel victory fueling your words, assured and ballsy, she was tied down and you weren't after all.

"At least I'm not the one who," Pausing to gather yourself, fingers clenching and bearing your teeth, "Is dating someone _like that!"_ Standing up to Jeff's mouthpiece was an odd feeling. A confident spark having you stand up straighter but what you thought was guilt pawed needily at your stomach. Fighting fire with fire was never a good idea but it was such a satisfying relief. A piece of the weight off your back with every word.

You didn't go hard enough. Unable to label Jeff as something stupidly derogatory. Knowing he was messed up but still murky on your feelings. God, why couldn't you just get your shit together?

They were both laughing at you. A tinge of shame worming it's way into your system. Not good enough. Pathetic to them, hardened by cold blooded hearts.

"Does this look like high school to you?" Nina snickered, hate bubbling beneath your skin. So much more hate for her than the woman beside you. It was weird, not right. Yet she was a willing mouthpiece for him, she made you feel so shitty even in her position. Another piece to the fucked up puzzle that you were being forced to solve. 

You didn't respond. Curling your lips into your mouth, being the bigger person. Maybe you'd feel better about yourself that way. Not indulging her in what she sickly wanted so much. Beneath the initial and obvious rationalizations, you knew full well that you just didn't want to fall short again. Them being even more aware of your internal plight. You kept it clutched tight to your chest, not wanting them to use it to their advantage. Finding better schoolyard taunts to toss. 

A single laugh was pushed passed her lips, satisfied. Turning her attention to Natalie, finding another target to pick on, "Surprised your ass is still running around, Roach." Trying to feel bigger, powerful.

"Ha!" Leaning obnoxiously over her chair, speaking loud and clear right in her face all for the sake of being oppressively annoying, "Jeff can't fucking kill me."

"When he comes for me, he's going to rip you limb from fucking limb, _Clockwork."_ She got under the other woman's skin like it was nothing. A talent of hers. 

"Oh please, like that backstabbin' little man-whore can kill _me?"_ Part of you wished you had her unadulterated confidence. The ability to talk in someone's face with dragon breath, "I'd like to see his tiny ass try."

Growling through gritted teeth, red lipstick smeared upon her incisors, "He will. I know it. When he comes, you're gonna be so fucking sorry. We're gonna make out on your corpses and shit. I _know_ he will. He _loves_ me that much. Always has, always fucking will."

**\----**

_Sitting down in your desk. At long last, a free period. Junior year had been a total bitch and a half. One more class and then you'd be home free. Well, after you did your homework that you were brushing off to do later. Opting to text Mom and Bio about the latest blockbuster. The three of you planning to pirate it off a streaming site and have a movie night over the weekend._

_A white box appeared at the top of your screen. Messenger notification fading away too quickly to be read. Though it was probably spam, you went to check it anyway. Ready to delete the chat the second you saw something about meeting up with hot singles in your area._

_It was anything but that._

_'I love you i miss yo u ifucked it all upand all i want is to takeit al l bac . all the stuoid fuckijng shit that i did and said and fucking. i think im drunlk rn and i kno i sholnt b txtin u i dont fuckijng deserv to but i just want u too know that ivealway s loved u and ill neverevereverever stop feelijng so fuckijng stupid about you . srry for being such a bitchboy cryba by'_

_Whoever the poor sap that send the message was, you didn't think you knew the number. Checking it and not recognizing it. Not a scam, not a telemarketer. Just some drunk person, yearning and reaching for someone who probably didn't want anything to do with them._

_Tugging weakly at your heartstrings just enough to try and let them down easy, 'Hey, sorry but this is the wrong number. Hope you find who you're looking for :)'_

_The message was read almost instantly. Three little dots appearing from the other end of the conversation. Quickly disappearing and not coming back. You don't think you'd ever felt such a strong sense of déjà vu._

**\----**

**Hey! We got another ongoing fic. It's called[You'll Catch Your Death](https://www.quotev.com/story/13010513/Youll-Catch-Your-Death/1) it's another Proxies X Reader. It is _not_ a continuation of Spill Your Guts. Instead, it's a completely different look into the boys as characters. Updates are slow but you might get a kick out it. Hope y'all are doin' well.**


	21. 20 - Back And Forth

**Use of D slur**

They didn't exactly put western standoffs to shame, but you'd be damned if the air wasn't thick with tension. When you came back to earth, spacing out for an unknown amount of time to escape the garbage fire that was reality, the two girls were staring each other down. It looked like Natalie was three seconds away from pouncing on Nina and sawing her head off. Sure, you weren't a very happy camper either but you'd never go that far. Thing was, both women were already too far gone to think that looking at someone like you wanted their head on a spike was a weird thing to do.

You just stood there. Nothing to do but that. Trying to will yourself into taking the highroad when the road was crumbling beneath your imaginary car. Hell, you didn't even know your metaphorical destination. Not wanting to go running off, fear of somehow bumping into Liu and hearing him preach more about Jeff had your stomach in knots. Also Natalie running after you when she was already in a bad mood was something not too desirable to you. 

With a sharp inhale and ticking clock, Natalie broke the conversational silence, "Like that dickbag has the brain function to care about anyone but himself." 

You had nothing else to concentrate on other than the implications of her words. Did she know Jeff? Considering the back and forth in the alleyway then that just might be the case.

Rolling her one eye, Nina huffed out a laugh in clear disbelief, "I _know_ Jeff. Your little insults don't bother me because I know he loves me." That was plainly contradictory. If it didn't bother her so much then why did she feel to blurt the fact that Jeff has supposed feelings for her? Maybe it was self validation? A seed of doubt hidden beneath layers of complicated feelings. Just like you, but way farther gone.

"And _I_ don't know him?" Natalie jutted a thumb into her chest with a humorless cackle.

Smugly smiling and obnoxiously cooing as she leaned towards the woman towering over her, "Yeah, ya don't." 

"Yes, I literally do." She feel for the bait that Nina very obviously set out. The woman wanted to start an argument centered around Jeff. Everything about her seemed to be centered on the man: conversation topics, the same facial scar, them dating. It was like to her, Jeff was the entirety of the universe and all of you were just living in his reality. 

"What's his favorite color?" Nina questioned with raised brows. Shut eyelid slightly opening to reveal a dark pink surface before it was concealed once more. 

"Uhh, red," Scoffing, Natalie shifted her weight onto her left leg, "Obviously."

"What shade?" You recognized all the signs. Her mood getting better and her elongated smile wider. As someone who talked endlessly about certain topics you were surprised it hadn't clicked sooner. Jeff himself was what she was hyper fixated on. Devoting every waking second to doing research on him. When he was born, what he was like as a kid, his middle name, if he was left or right handed. When it comes to hyper fixations, people like you knew every little detail given a few days. That is, if she even was like you. Still though, she was just making excuses to talk about the man.

"Dark red." Natalie confidently answered, "Simple just like him. Fucking pea-brain."

"Actually it's bright red. Like classic red. Like the kind that's in pens that teachers use to grade with, ya'know? I think _you're_ the one that's pea-brained."

Highly specific, she was close to him after all. When it came to strangers and more distant friends he didn't talk about himself a lot. In vivid detail anyway. You witnessed him brush off people when they asked about his day but when you or Liu asked he'd go on and on. Tangent after tangent and you'd just let him with a goofy grin.

Frowning for just a moment, Natalie had to think real hard to come up with her retort, "No you." She couldn't be serious. Continuing to fall into the little spat for Nina's entertainment. Giving into schoolyard taunts.

Nina snorted, "Holy shit, you bitches really are stuck in high school or some shit," She sighed wistfully, "You're both _so_ pathetic." 

Her hand was suddenly balled in the other woman's hair, angrily yanking on the dyed strings of black as she glared down at her, _"Look who's talking."_

Nina was a lot different from you. She didn't shut up, she didn't sit and bide her time, she opened her mouth and taunted the dangerous woman in power, "Someone who doesn't know what a toothbrush it." Cracking her other eye open fully. Sclera a mix of bloodshot pink and leaking red just beneath the surface, spreading right below the lens. A thin hole just below the bullseye that was her iris, dark and irritated. The artificial blue was no longer there, instead there was a dark umber. Electric blue contact having fallen out when she ripped the pin from her flesh. You felt bile threaten to claw it's way up your esophagus when the brown eye defiantly flickered to meet Natalie's eye a snarl on her smeared lips. Taking the saying quite literally, "And someone who _really_ needs to get a grip."

In response Natalie jerked her balled fist upward, forcing Nina's head to come up as much as it could in her restraints. Not giving into the instinctual urge to yelp, keeping her stare steady and intense even under the face of red rage and growled words. "You really wanna fucking test me, huh?"

There was no look of fear, no trepidation, instead she smirked, "I think I already am."

Another harsh yank to her hair, jerking her head up just another notch. Skin stretching and straining under Natalie's guidance. You became acutely aware of the _tick tocking_ as she bent down to force herself to be closer to the woman. Trying to intimidate her into silence since clearly, violence wouldn't suppress her in the slightest. You had nothing to do with their little spat and even you were tensing up. Not knowing either of them well enough to predict an outcome.

Nina's hushed voice slithered through the air and into the both of your ears, " _I just think that you're bitter because Jeff doesn't fucking love you._ "

Natalie's face dropped, unhanding Nina and straightening up. You couldn't tell what she was expressing until she started to laugh. "I'm a dyke dumbass."

Head softly hitting the cushioned surface, Nina's mouth in a deformed O, "That makes soooo much sense." Flipping from intensely smug to a ditsy airhead in a second. She clicked her tongue and continued the argument with a more obvious note of playfulness, "Well! I still think that you're just jelly that Jeff likes me more and he'd never stab me in the back." You had the odd feeling that if her hands were free they'd be idly twirling her hair.

Loyalty. That's what it came down to. The argument was over the concept of Jeff's capacity to have it, right? Ten years ago he was as loyal a friend one could have. But now it was a different story, you were completely unaware of where his loyalties laid.

Her tone suddenly took less of a pissed off edge and more of a serious note, "I thought that too." A hand coming to the hem of her shirt, "Then he fuckin' did this to me so, _ya'know."_ Tearing up the fabric she revealed her stomach. Softly defined muscles were simply the backdrop for the pinkish brown slash across her lower belly. A long jagged line, healed but leaving a slight indent in her skin where the weapon had been horribly dragged through her flesh. Her laugh was bitter, "You don't even wanna get me started on my back."

"What?" Was all you had to say, words caught on the tip of your tongue. Unable to form and spill out.

Releasing the shirt and letting it fall back into place, she lazily eyed you and simply explained, "Jeff." Holding up two fingers, crossed, "He and I were like _this._ Then shit hit the fan and-" Flicking her fingers apart in a movement that shouldn't have alarmed you so but it did. Vividly imaging her screaming, gutted emotionally and literally.

He did that to her. Sure, you'd heard him do so much worse. Seen him bathed in the light of a fire fueled by a human body that he sliced open. But the implication of trust, a bond with Natalie that left her with a nasty scar that had to have hurt, is what made your blood run cold. You could imagine her intestines slipping out of the thick slit. Covered in her own blood and guts, betrayed. How was she not dead? The thought that he could betray people he cared about so easily had you gutted. He could drop the lost puppy thing. Jeff could push away warm feelings and indulge in his bloodlust. The next time you saw him he just might do the same to you. No matter how untouchable Liu seemed to think that you were. Jeff was Jeff, and Jeff was a killer. 

Horrified, looking to the white fabric that now shrouded the scar once again. You couldn't shake the thoughts, wondering what he said to her, wondering if she felt the same knotting dread that was so intense it was genuinely painful. Probably that and worse. She'd literally been stabbed after all. The feeling had to have been horrible, worse than the agonizing slashes on your back. You didn't feel bad for her but at the same time you didn't get a sense of satisfaction when you really should have. Once again, questioning your own moral compass, if you were a bad person.

Nina piped up, "Oh please! Don't get all butt-hurt about it! You just didn't make the cut because you're useless, stupid, slow, weak, _and_ ugly." 

The cut? What did Natalie not qualify for?

" **He** couldn't handle," Gesturing to her broad body, "All of this. Couldn't hire me because I'm just too sexy."

You blinked at her. Then blinked again. Ignoring the clear narcissism and opting to ask, "Hire you?" 

"Oof, she doesn't really know, huh?" Nina quietly commented to Natalie. Talking to the woman like they were idly gossiping teenagers instead of murderous adults who hated each others guts, like Natalie hadn't tried to snap her neck and she wasn't tied to a chair. 

Natalie rested an arm on the back of her neck, obnoxiously sighing, _"Yeaaaah._ I mean kinda?" Expectantly looking to you.

Bluntly explaining, "I literally have no idea what either of you are talking about. But could you-"

"Nope." Natalie chirped.

"What-"

"I don't feel like it." She continued with a mean spirited grin. These two were all over the place. 

"Then I'll do it since I'm not such a useless fucking loud mouth." Casually digging at the other woman, fake and busted eyes resting on your form, "You know about me and my and _my baby's_ boss, right?"

"Kind of?" The entity referred to as **him**. Dealing out murder missions as well as keeping the human body up and running after immense damage. An unknown figure that you couldn't seem to conjure up in your mind. Not forgetting to ask, "You have a baby?"

"Jeff," She deadpanned, "It's called a petname, dumbass." Switching back to her more chipper attitude in an instant, "Basically Clocky was almost hired into the big leagues but sucked so much dick that **he** rejected her." Scarred flesh shifting as she smirked, _"And we all know what happens to rejects."_

Hesitating to speak, not liking that look in Natalie's eye. Dark, dull, _angry._ Opening and closing your mouth over and over. Finally sealing your lips shut when she briefly glanced at you. Smiling, x's stretching across her freckled cheeks at the sight of you. Visibly cringing and looking like you were going to piss you pants. The insidious rage quelled, the anger leaving her eyes, dormant for another day. 

But now you knew it was there. Now you were even more scared of her. 

You had to fill in what happened to rejects on your own. Death, fatal injury. Leading you to the heap of questions that were the existence of other people like them. Did Jeff have other bonkers buddies? Were there more serial killers out there than you could count, all working for the same unseen entity? How did the world at large not know about this? Or did those sworn to serve and protect know, preferring to keep it under wraps to keep the public calm?

"Shove it up your ass, fangirl." Natalie grunted, still not the happiest person in the room. Nina was sinking colorfully manicured nails into old wounds, tearing them open. 

Snickering, Nina kept on going, a dog with a bone, "Pfft, your best friend _just_ tried to fucking chop you up," Voice growing snottier by the second, expression satisfied and cruel, "Don't take it so personally. It's just business."

You weren't able to help yourself. She just made you so angry also she was helpless and a total dickhead. "That's dumb."

Both of the women turned their attention to you. Tensing with a frown under their confused stares. You were mostly thinking aloud, trying to take the high road and miserably failing.

"Huh?" They said in a stupid unison.

Might as well keep yapping. "Well," Taking in a sigh to try and build up a semblance of courage, "You," Attention on the scene queen herself, "Took the stance if it being more of a personal thing, but then you're all like _'nothin' personal kid'._ You just make no sense, ever." Not the most scathing comment on the planet but as a know it all who hated the irksome phenomena of someone being violently wrong and adamant about their rightness, you felt that it was just enough. 

A huge grin broke out across her face, dimples sinking into her cheeks and a wheezy laugh passing by her lips. "She's right, you are fucking dumb." Taking the more insulting part of your little speech and running with it. Though, you hoped that your words would get you on her better side. You really did not want to get cut the fuck up.

"Am not." Nina childishly retorted.

"Are too." Natalie gleefully bickered, taking in a bubbly joy in berating her.

From calculated asshole to a middle schooler, you only had one thought on the woman, "You're confusing." Quietly breaking into the conversation once again. Receiving mildly confused glances before they resumed their bickering. 

"You totally are." Natalie blindly agreed.

"No, I totally am not." Nina pouted.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Yes." Nina switched statements, siding with self deprecation.

"No." Natalie did the same thing, now defending her.

"What?" You were completely lost. "I- What's going on?"

"Oh we're just having a fight over Jeff. Come on (Y/n) honey, you've been here the whole time." Nina casually explained like she wasn't tied to a chair.

It seemed so, everything revolved around him even though he wasn't what they were arguing about. The two were connected to Jeff. Natalie being called his best friend when you were the only one you'd known of to ever hold that title. Natalie and Nina fighting over old favoritism. Nina giving away that he still held a soft spot. Natalie pointing out that soft spots were just points of weakness to be stabbed. Jeff was why you were here. Why these people who hated him so much were together. He really was the center of the universe. A violent black hole that sucked everything greedily into it. You didn't know where it would lead. To peaceful nothingness or a world of hurt.

You understood the bases, but these two crack pots arguing was hard to grasp. As well as it being incredibly irritating when you were already stressed out. It made you nervous to ask, before this Noah used to order at the McDonald's drive-thru for you because you were too scared to talk to an employee who didn't give a shit. Now though, you'd been though hell and a half. Starting to slowly develop a tougher skin for the sake of self preservation. You could do it, you could ask for context even if the thought made your chest clench, "Speaking of _him,_ Natalie-" She gave you a look, "Clockwork?" Confusedly correcting yourself to use the cartoonishly stupid name.

"Call me Nat." The woman corrected. Giving you verbal permission to use the abbreviation of her name. Instead of the distant and weird title of Clockwork, which you still didn't understand the connotations of. Well, the whole clock eye thing was obvious but there were still a lot of unanswered questions you had about her. "Ya earned it for what you did to _ce_ _fils de pute."_ Switching languages mid-sentence with a smile. Another insult and what you believed was a show of camaraderie. Earning your place amongst them. 

"Okay," You continued, "Nat, can you tell me why he did that?" You paused to clarify, knowing the surface details already, "Like, if he was supposed to kill you why didn't he- I dunno," You couldn't get the fabricated guts out of your minds eye, "Be nicer about it?" In the scenario where you _had_ to kill your best friend you'd be quick about it. Make it as peaceful and painless as possible. That was just _excessive._

Blinking while she processed the question with a frown. "Simple. He's an asshole." No hesitation in the insult only wholehearted hate.

As kids he could be dickish at times but that was too far. Even though you knew what he was you couldn't fully wrap your head around it, "I don't understand." 

Natalie scoffed, "He's a coward and a cunt. That's all you need to understand."

Thinking aloud, fidgeting and trying to _get it,_ "I- But you _were_ friends-" The use past tense had her nostrils flaring and muscles tensing.

"So were you. The second he comes to his senses _he'll do the same fucking thing to you."_ Emphasizing her words with a point of her thick finger.

You'd struck a nerve. You hadn't even really thought about. It just made sense to assume that the friendship is in the past. Left behind after he stabbed her in the literal back. Blunt as ever you questioned, "Why are you upset?" 

Her lips curled into her mouth as you mentally berated yourself. That was probably really rude.

Demeanor shifting, the line of her lips twitching into a smile, snottily saying, "I was your fucking replacement ya'know?"

"Huh?" You said despite understanding completely.

Words painfully worming their way under your skin, thicker but not thick enough. Growing up with her at his side and not you. Sharing laughs, bonding over bad shit, bouncing stupid ideas off each other, laying together and talking about the future. What you had was special enough for him to not kill you twice. Even as the monster that he was now. You didn't know the depth or intricacies of their friendship in the slightest. Thus, you didn't know how hard the deliberation was for Jeff to turn on her by order of whoever their boss was. How long did it take for him to turn around and bury his knife inbetween her ribs? 

"And I was _your_ replacement." Nina snickered, earning a nasty look from Natalie. If she kept on testing the clock-eyed woman she'd probably get knifed.

"Don't sound so sure of yourself, he'll drain you dry. It's just a matter of when." Natalie tapped the ticking clock as a reminder. Death coming closer with every passing second.

"Whatever you say, Clocky." Only a few seconds of semi-calmness passing before she opened her mouth once more, "So, what's the deal with you?" Jutting her head toward Natalie.

Pointedly questioning, her mood obviously sullied, "The fuck you mean?" 

Nina's scarred cheeks subtly twitching with her smirk, "Why are you being so nice to slugbag five-thousand over there?"

You knew she was insulting you but you could only question what a slut bag even was. "Me nice to _her?"_ Natalie haughtily cackled, jutting a thumb toward you.

"Yeah like, what the fuck? I get we're not like suuuuper close, but I have a feeling that you usually don't let people you don't know stand around without at least six stab wounds. What's with that?" Tilting her head side to side, observing the both of your reactions. Yours being confusion.

"Because we need her alive. What are you, brain dead?" The two of you had arrived to the same conclusion. It was simply better for you to not be limping around. Though you did start to think about shit that could be done to you that wouldn't affect movement. Hair pulling, punching, maybe some finger breaking. Any grandiose display of power. Luckily, none of it had occurred, but she had a clear love of violence and you were right here. Nothing was stopping her from taking her anger out on you or getting a kick out kicking you in the chest. 

Nina seemed to have your same thought process, skeptically raising her brows, "You know _exactly_ what I mean."

Natalie paused a moment, seriously considering her non-action for a moment before sneering, "I don't feel like it. I've been very tired lately. Plus, her record was cleared the second she stabbed your ugly ass."

"You're _so_ full of shit." Nina cackled.

You felt your stomach sink when Natalie met your eyes and spoke, "I could rip her teeth out at any time and she knows it. I think it's cute how in line she is and I hardly have to do anything." Boasting with a laugh and an easy smile, an almost hungry look in her eye as seconds ticked by.

Frowning, you took a step away from her. Taking not much solace in the distance, the memory of her dropping the bloodied teeth on the tile still fresh.

"See? She's piss-pants scared of me." You inwardly sighed, not intending to boost her ego. Feeling a piece of dignity being chipped away. A piece that you didn't want to give up, preparing yourself to retort something before she was bounding over to you. No, not bounding, running.

Before you could turn tail and book it the fuck out of there she was at your side with an arm thrown around your neck. Leaning her weight onto you and grinning, "You're scared of me, _right?"_

Wasn't the step back enough for her? 

No, it wasn't. Her hunger for your terror was insatiable. Though she may have been less of a dick to you, she was still armed, dangerous, and out for blood. 

Before you could stiffly nod, your attention was stolen away by a snicker, "God! You're such a u-haul lesbian." 

Natalie shot her a pointed stare, bicep tightening around your neck, "Shut the fuck up." Taking notice of the way you tensed under her touch with a grin, _"Scared?"_

It took everything in you to hold your tongue. With the interruption you gained a shallow foothold in your pride. You didn't need to verbalize your terror to her just for her satisfaction. Agreeing with yourself internally that you'd only cough up the admission if she pulled out a knife. 

Nina gasped obnoxiously, _"OMG!"_ Did she really just say that out loud? "You guys are soooo giving Jeff and me vibes from when we first met!"

You leaned away from the woman, deeply uncomfortable. Curious though, you asked, "When you guys met?"

"Ooh story time! He was trying to kill me!" She happily shrieked from her restraints. It didn't seem like a joke to you, fully believing that she was dead serious. Over the moon about their first dangerous encounter. Despite the smartly calculated comments she was still fucking nuts. "And I was running away and telling him how much I loved his work, that I was soooo happy he finally came to me, that he finally chose _me_." Wistfully sighing, she continued, "That night he looked like a prince straight out of a fairytale. Ah, he'd just totally butchered my neighbors and _ugh!_ What a man." The lust in her voice had your lips curling back in an uncomfortable cringe.

Realizing the weight of Nina's comparison between her and Jeff to the both of you, Natalie quickly let go of you, opting to instead stand a few inches away. Almost touching but not really, an unspoken tension of weird awkwardness settling between you two. 

You didn't think before you spoke, "Wha- Why? I don't- What did you actually just say to me?"

You heard her loud and clear you just didn't know how to feel hearing someone talk about Jeff like that. It was bittersweet. In the time you missed out with him, he found someone who adored him, but it wasn't right. That wasn't love. It was obsession, sick infatuation. On one hand you wanted to imagine him as happy and loving, but on the other you could't let go of the head bashing comment.

"Stuff about Jeeeeff." Nina hummed contently, "What, you jealous?"

You wanted to know if it wasn't that bad. You wanted to know more about him, present day. Truthfully curious about how someone could be so wickedly enraptured with another person, "Why do you love him?"

She took a long gasping intake of breath before she began her wild dump of information, pupils blown wide, the stark difference between the colors making her look more deranged, "Well! I first fell in love like seven-ish maybe six years ago. It was at first sight. I saw this super enlightening documentary all about his case and I just couldn't look away. His cheeks just looked so soft and pinchable and he was just like me! The animal stuff, the bullying, ya'know? We're both total outcasts and I feel like he was the only one who would ever understand me. Oh, and that little smile in family photos gave me so many butterflies!" When you looked at those old photos of a smiling family, faking it and not making it, you felt _sick._ Jeff wasn't an insidious time bomb like every other evil on the planet, he wasn't born a killer. The rage, injustice, resentment that was stacked up over the years paired with the sudden rush of bullying that pushed him over the edge made him one. In those pictures you saw the boy you knew, the building hatred within him, the horrible future that was to come. You couldn't understand her logic, how she saw that as any level of cute.

"The brotherly love too! Jeff was such a caring and protective kid, I couldn't help but feel that he'd do that for me too. Honestly, don't tell anyone but Liu was a cute kid. Now though I can't say that I like his look. Too _'gay kid who raised christian but denounced the entire religion but still goes gaga over biblical aesthetics because he's gay and it's just like that'."_ Nina was chattering at a mile a minute, tone dipping and raising into different pitches with excitement or resentment. "Oh right! I was talking about the night we first met earlier. Okay so I gotta admit I was a lil scared 'cuz he kinda threw me down a set of stairs. So- Picture this, I was crying and he was laughing then I started laughing with him. He was so cute and confused and sweaty. I just kept on gushing about him and I'd never seen someone so flustered I just-" She shook happily in her restrained and gleefully shrieked.

"Anyway, he spared me and I knew that from there life was going to get better. It totally did! Jeff was a complete stalker but I was super into it _so._ Sometimes he'd try to kill me but I'd either get away because I have the mind of a mastermind or he just couldn't do it! Ya'know what (Y/n)?" Finally addressing something other than her obsession, fixated on you with a broken eye and even more fucked up mind. 

"Uh," You tensed even more, "What?"

"Jeff has a good heart. He kept an eye on you for such a long time and never even tried to kill you." Ah right, the stalking that you were trying to forget about. Memories of odd figures in the corners of your vision when you were walking home, silhouettes by the treeline at odd hours. "It was really hard for him not to but I wished he did. _Fuck, I wish that he'd let me hurt you_. Always so back and forth with things, just, so indecisive. One minute he was like: ' _Noooo Nina, don't kill her because I'd be sad_.' Then the next he'd be all like, _'lets kill (Y/n), lets set her free of this shitty fucking world'."_ The voice she put on to impersonate his was cartoonishly over gravelly, like a thirteen year old doing an impression of a forty year old life long smoker. Words that Jeff had supposedly said were getting further under your skin. He could have killed you, he wanted to but he didn't, but at the same time he did. He was like a metronome, back and forth endlessly.

"Anyway he cried when you moved out of your old place and I was like 'there there babe' but on the inside I was losing my shit. Like, finally right? God, it was super annoying when he tried to find where the hell you went. He was all mad n' shit but he was so worried and it just makes me sick!" Ironic coming from her, deeply sick and disturbed. "You can't die 'cuz then he'd be sad but if you do die there'd only be me. But I know Jeff would be soooooo super bummed and he'd probably-" Stopping herself abruptly with puckered lips, voice flat as she said, "Nevermind."

Nina seemed to be caught up in a catch twenty-two. You didn't think you wanted her to get out of it for your own safety. 

You were still so new to all of this. Her ramblings a shock to your system that was somewhat diluted by all the other shit you'd endured. Still though, it sucked and you really didn't get much of an answer about why. Just tangent after tangent. So, you decided to put thoughts into words, "You didn't exactly exp-"

"Simple, he's a dreamboat!"

Natalie scoffed, "That crusty fuck looks like he hasn't taken a shower in about a fucking decade." 

"His last shower was a week ago, think before you speak." The murderous adult sounded like a grade schooler with her weak gotcha. "Though I will admit, he didn't know what conditioner was until we met. Sometimes I have to actually fight him to brush his hair, even if he likes it. I think it adds to his charm honestly, he's got a real manly musk."

The bar was on the ground and getting lower by the second. 

You curled your nose at the thought of the scent of body odor mixed with sweat, culminating over such a long time Disgusting. 

While you stared at Nina slack jawed, Natalie began to cackle. Curling into herself, slapping her thighs, the works. "Manly musk? Manly musk!" Jabbing an elbow into your side, "Are you hearing this shit newbie? Just- Holy fucking shit!" At least she wasn't pissed off anymore. Threat level of her getting stabby with you lowering but it was never going to be zero. 

"What's wrong with that? It's hot!" Nina argued as the ground began to quiver beneath your sneakers. 

Natalie only kept on laughing, parroting the sickly sweet compliments. The repetition further ingraining how messed up this all was in your head. Comparing her obsession alongside Liu's, trying to figure out who was objectively worse.

"What about you slut-face?" Nina derogatorily referred to you with a look of disgust, "Are you in love with my boyfriend or something?"

Immediately you barked out a stern, "No." Hoping that at least she'd believe you when Liu couldn't seem to comprehend you not having feelings for the deformed maniac. Tacking on more to further drive the nail into the coffin, "I've never had feelings for Jeff like that."

"Hm," Humming in thought whilst Natalie calmed herself down, "I hate you." 

"Feeling's mutual." The high road was broken down, allowing for a moment of satisfactory immaturity. 

"Oh shit." Natalie perked up at the idea of more drama, a verbal spat between you and Nina that she could kick back and enjoy. You may have weakly told her off, but you didn't have the emotional or mental constitution to uphold an interaction like that. You were tired in every sense of the word. 

Her mismatched eyes bore into you instead of snapping back a snotty retort. Switching from a jabbering airhead to quietly ominous. Insidious. Biding her time for _something._ Most likely the moment she'd get to stab you in a non-vital area just to watch you bleed. 

The floor shuddered beneath your feet, Jack loudly approaching as per usual. His footsteps were like an auditory reprieve from the tension. Soon to come in and hopefully be able to change the subject. 

Entering the Claire's you found that he was still in the long trench coat. Lightly dabbing the side of his mouth with a cloth. Neatly folding it up as he moved further into the room. Stopping a moment, 'looking' around with dry interest while you tried not to think about what body parts he nibbled on this time. If he used chopsticks or ate away at smaller bits like finger foods.

"Did I miss something _or?"_


	22. 21 - God, I'm Tired

You could hardly keep track of how long you’d been there. Sleeping in some nook or cranny whenever you could to try and escape reality. Mulling over escape options and scratching each one off the list of possibilities. They were making you pile into the car again, though you’d known from the cycle of light and darkness that it’d been at least a few days, it felt like the last time you did this was less than five minutes ago.

The outing was down a few people. Jane had insisted on a lower number this time, wanting to have less people for Jeff to potentially spot. Also she simply didn’t like Liu, along with the fact her and Natalie got into some petty spat that you hadn’t seen. All you knew was that they kept making underhanded comments at one another. Though Jane herself could have stayed behind, having Natalie take her place, there were two glaring things that kept her from doing so. Simply, she was a control freak and wanted to be there for every little outing. Secondly, she was the only one beside Liu or you who could drive. Clearly not trusting the man or you. Jack hadn’t particularly pissed in her cheerio’s lately and he was extra muscle in case things went south.

Packed into the sad excuse of a mystery mobile was you, Jane, Jack, and a heavily sedated Nina. Jane could stand Jack at the moment and Nina had to tag along so she wasn’t magically whisked away. 

Jane had come back to throw question after question at her. The same overwhelming barrage that she threw at you when you first got there. Where’s Jeff? Does he have a hideout? Were there any weaknesses he’d hidden? All of which had been laughed off by Nina. Not giving them a single positive answer. Jane promptly punched a few of her teeth out when she suggested Jane’s obsession with Jeff was romantic. You found it horrifying when she started to grow new adult teeth. Not yet fully emerged from her gums, but impossible nonetheless. 

It’d been an okay trip. The two petty assholes dressed in black mostly kept to themselves. Though occasionally they’d go back and forth, clearly not the best of friends. 

Chilling in the backseat, Jack broke his thirty minute silence with a question, “We almost there?”

Jane’s gloved grip on the steering wheel grew tighter in her annoyance, “Yes.”

“You said that an hour ago.” He pointed out truthfully.

“An hour ago the GPS rerouted us because that road was closed.” She explained with a strained sigh. Willing to kidnap and let innocents be murdered but not okay with peeling through a construction zone. “Drive's going to be longer because of that, deal with it, No-Eyes.”

Jack decided not to respond, satisfied with her answer for now. You weren’t satisfied in the slightest, mind stuck on the idea of location. More accurately, “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Jane didn’t seem all to happy to have another person piping up to presumably question her choices. 

“Find him.” His name was starting to leave more and more of a foul taste in your mouth. 

She paused, literally at a stop sign. Lifting her foot off the break and rolling forward as she began to speak, “I’ve been doing this for a _very_ long time and he’s got shit for brains, he's incredibly predictable."

“Even with that, it still seems like a lot to be able to find him over and over.” He’d been all over the place to your knowledge. New Jersey, Indiana, now headed to Delaware. It was like finding a bloody needle in a haystack. 

“Tatttlecrime.” 

“Huh?” You blinked at the masked woman who was focusing on the road, gloved fingers tapping impatiently on the wheel. Was it annoyance at your questions or her own impatience demanding that she to find Jeff and crack his skull open as soon as possible?

“Crime website, off the books. Run by a bunch of degenerate money hungry pigs, but it’s been more use to me than the actual news.” You were relieved to find the topic didn’t piss her off but instead got her talking more relaxed, fingers still drumming softly. 

“So like, an illegal thing?” You asked the criminal. Mostly just enamored with the idea of a site like that. 

“Yeah.” Jack butted in, “They basically show you the stuff that the media won’t. Spleens and spines, get hungry just thinking about it.” He mused warmly as you cringed. Thinking back to all the blood and guts you and Jeff used to scroll though simply for him to gawk and laugh at.

Jane scoffed, “Shut up you can’t even read it.” Echolocation could let him know general forms, but it would be impossible to see words on a textureless screen. 

“Phones have voice commands.” He informed her with a snooty undertone, crossing his legs loudly, the leather of his ridiculous trench coat groaning.

“Whatever.” Jane dryly snapped, continuing her explanation of a topic she liked much more than Jack to you. “And I know his M.O.”

You tensed but still forced yourself to ask, looking up from your fidgeting hands, “Which is?”

“Brutal disfiguration of the face.” Hate radiated off of her, air growing just a little tenser, her fingers tightening on the wheel. “Sometimes he likes to set things on fire. People mostly.” Your eyes were square on her exposed shoulders, warped and off color. Memory of burning flesh and Jeff framed by fire fueled by skin. Their head almost sawed off.

“Oh.” Chest clenching, regretting that you even asked. You off handedly wondered if he gave Nina the scars on her face.

She continued, “Sit down for eight to nine hours. Hop from site to site and look for the murders.” You were assuming that she just wanted to talk about something, get her mind off of Natalie for awhile. “Do it all by myself because _apparently_ I have to do all the work around here.” Apparently getting her mind off a fight with her partner was picking a fight with _something like him._

“So I don’t have a vegetable garden and provide for you all? Okay.” Jack pettily pointed out. You had a hard time imagining him watering plants or the giant godly being on his knees, sowing seeds. As for food, you didn’t know where they got it. Just grateful that at specific intervals of the day one of them would pass you something edible. 

“What about specific addresses?” Rubbing the Jersey Devil with your thumb in slow circles. Bomber only recently dry enough to be bearable to wear. They had the decency to let you shower again, providing you with clothes. An odd mix, a baggy gray sweatshirt and a long black skirt. Loose fitting chic. “Like, how’d you know he was in that alleyway?"

Jane just sighed, “I could try an explain it to you but I think you’re too stupid to understand.”

“You literally just pretend to be different people and call house to house if anyone's seen ‘an erratic white crackhead.’” Jack undermined her with a smile, you glanced at him the rear view mirror, legs still crossed as he leaned over Nina's comatose body, an elbow planted firmly in her side as he looked to Jane. “One time-”

“Don’t.” She sternly snapped whilst jostling the steering wheel, voice so icy that it caused you to stop fidgeting. 

He was silent a moment before he continued, “One time s-”

With another harsh jostle, she growled, “I will crash this car _so help me_.” 

“No you won’t. It's our only ride.” His smirk in the rear-view only grew as she responded by more violently fucking with the steering wheel. It had to be something embarrassing or dumb that she didn’t even want you to hear. Someone who she’d probably murder if she got the chance. Caring about your opinion, you realized with a jolt, looking to the masked woman. “Anyways. One time I overheard her lying about being the head of the US marine corp and if they didn’t tell her what they saw she’d have their house nuked.”

You stared at the grown ass woman. Did she really use a lie that a fifteen year old boy would use?

“Did-” You paused when her mask turned ever so slightly toward you, persisting because there wasn’t anything she could do to you at the moment. “Did that work?”

“That never happened!” She loudly defended herself, coming off as incredibly suspicious.

“No it didn’t,” He continued, “They hung up on her.”

Sucking your lips into your mouth, an amused huff escaping your nose despite your effort. Just imagining the woman going off, coming up with a terribly fabricated lie. Holding in laughter, better judgement catching up with you.

“I really hate you, you know?” Annoyedly snapping at the snickering man, glaring at him through the mirror like he could see her doing so. Nina’s tied up body rolling under Jack's arm as the car took a particularly harsh turn.

While you processed, Jack and Jane went back and forth. Lighthearted digs that felt more like something old friends would do over forced allies. Maybe all this time working together was wearing away at their stony exteriors? Though you couldn’t be sure, you weren’t them and you really didn’t get these people.

Something still stuck out like a sore thumb to you, “But we come to these places before the uh,” Mandatory work that left room for you still lingering sympathy, “Missions, how can you find anything online if he hasn’t-” Hissing in a breath, opting to swipe a thumb across your neck instead of saying it, "Anyone yet?"

Their conversation fell flat. The ambiance of tire on road being the only consistent sound. 

“You know damn well that he kills people outside of what he’s told to do, (Y/n).” The stern validation of the thoughts that had just begun to dawn on you had you pausing your fidgeting yet again. Deeply disappointed, she expected you to know better. Not soften the blows of his sins like his apologist brother, somehow still looking for the best in him.

You turned your head to watch the passing trees. Trying not to think about how right she was. Pressing your forehead against the rattling window just to feel something that wasn’t gut wrenching somberness for the last hour of the ride. 

Jaw clenched tight, you stood with your strange company on the front porch. Lights still on, TV blaring from inside. Soft footsteps that approached when Jane pressed her finger to the doorbell. This time you all got there before it happened. Hoping that this time, there’d be a different outcome. Knowing for sure Nina wouldn’t be covering for him, in the back of Liu’s van. Horse tranquilizer in her system that you tried not to question where Jack got it from.

The deadbolt audibly unlocked, door cracking open to show a sliver of a kid. Maybe ten or thirteen. Looking up at you with confusion that morphed into fear when he saw your companions. Going to shut the door but found that he couldn’t, Jane’s boot jammed halfway through the crack. The kid gasped, not too equipped to deal with the situation other than shouting, “Go away!”

He was the target wasn’t he? A child. 

Shell shocked, you watched Jane easily force the door open, the boy stumbling back, falling on his butt. Door swinging wide open, hitting the wall with a _thump_. Jack walked passed you, at some point securing his mask over his face, pulling up his hood up as he stomped into the house.

“Hey,” Jane’s voice took an uncharacteristic softness to it, “We’re not going to hurt y-”

“Get away!” He shrieked as you shuffled in quietly behind them. Jane shutting the door behind you without looking away from the boy. His attention shifting to the ground shaking step, Jack in front of him in a single stride. Freezing in place, fixated on the massive masked terror who knelt down, hunching over to further shrink himself down.

You had a feeling this wouldn’t go too hot. Jack’s presence was off, a deeply wrong aura you’d been forced to get used to. Unnatural black seeping though the mesh of his mask, the unknown substance rolling down static cheeks.

“Hi,” Following suit with Jane, voice morphing into a sweet coo, “My name’s Jack, what’s yours?” 

The boy scrambled back a few feet, squeaking when his back collided with the couch. Not knowing what else to do he babbled, “Olsen.” You felt a strange kinship with the boy, seeing yourself in him. Paralyzed by terror, running feeling like a futile option.

“Well Olsen,” He tensed upon the use of his name, “How was your day?” 

You shifted your weight from foot to foot, watching a man-eating god do his best to comfort a scared kid.

“Okay.” He quietly admitted.

“Where are your parents?” The question made you think about things you hadn't picked up on before. There was no car in the driveway and no one had come downstairs to check on the commotion. 

“Out.” Understandably shaking, the question didn’t have the best connotations tied to it.

“Ah,” Jack slowly nodded, “So you’re a trustworthy kid, huh?”

Humming, mimicking Jack’s nod, “My dad’s say that I am.” Shakily agreeing with the seemingly gentle giant. 

“Can I trust you to hide in that closet?” He pointed a clawed finger at the narrow wooden door. Ajar, showing off a mess of shoes and coats.

“Uhm.” Obviously not too keen to listen to a terrifying and strange person, but slowly standing nonetheless. 

“I know that you’re scared and soon it may be a lot scarier but you’ll be okay. I promise.” Tenderly warm yet with a sense of firmness. He meant it. 

“Okay.” Olsen shuffled himself over to the closet, stepping over shoes and stuffing himself between winter jackets. Quickly pulling the door shut, a quiet click following suit. Locked away with no idea as to what was happening. The kid really was a lot like you.

Standing himself back up, Jack wordlessly strode out of the living room. Ear grating groaning starting to play from the other room. Was that the sound of chairs being pushed?

You weren’t granted the time to check, Jane authoritatively speaking up, “Sit down, we might be waiting for awhile." 

"What am I supposed to do," You began as you complied, sitting on the couch pressed up against one of the arm rests, "When he gets here?"

"Your best course of action is to stay still and talk. If he thinks for _a second,_ " Jane approached the shut curtains, long enough to touch the floor, "That you're going to attack him or run, he _will_ try something." You sucked your lips anxiously into your mouth, Natalie's scarred stomach having you screwing your eyes shut. Trying to will away the gory mental images. Telling yourself it'd be fine. He'd known you the longest, supposedly cared a whole fucking lot even after all these years. 

"Don't say anything stupid. But if anything does happen," She pulled herself behind the opaque curtain, voice soft and filling you with uncharacteristic reassurance, "I'll be right here." 

Though your safety wasn't guaranteed, it was something. Jane in the room, Jack in another. Hiding to keep out of the interaction but staying so you wouldn't wind up dead. Anxiety loomed heavy over your head. Could she restrain herself this time, not fuck it up and get you almost murdered? You only had one thing to say to her, staring at the two black boots sticking out from under the fabric. "I can see your shoes."

Jane awkwardly shuffled her feet back, disappearing mostly behind the curtain, "How about now?"

"Uhm," You could still see the very front of one of her boots, just barely visible, "Move your left lag back a lil."

You heard her shift, "Now?"

"You're good." She didn't say anything else after that. The waiting game was on. Playing it with twiddling thumbs and with thoughts stuck on the topic of your own mortality.

You had no idea what time it was when the front door handle began to slowly twist. Jumping but forcing yourself to settle into the chair, stiff as a board. Hopefully with Nina gone, enabling his more violent side, he'd be more chilled out. Holding out a hope in hell.

His profile was unnaturally flat with melted lips and a severe lack of a nose. Slouching with his thin greasy hair shifting in matted clumps on his back. It was an odd thing to fixate on, but his arms being free from the hoodie was a rare sight. Much more muscular than they had been when he was a kid. Poking out of a loose black t-shirt, stained hoodie tied around his waist. Matching the theme of his flesh, off color and warped. Only a few spots had been spared by the burns, dry skin that had been scratched almost raw. It didn't look much better than the rest. 

Knife in hand, his working eye fixated on the stairs. Taking conscious and calculated loud steps toward them before his head snapped your way. Ceasing his movement just like you had yours. Third forced meeting, this time in a less tensely bloody situation. Though your setting did not lock your safety in for sure, you weren't as afraid to look into the baby blue and milky white of his eyes. 

You couldn't get the simple phrase out of your head. _"You're nothing."_ The last thing he'd said to you before Jane stomped his head in. Objectively the worst thing he'd ever said to you given the murderous context.

Uncleanching your jaw you took initiative for once, "Hi."

Trying to keep a blank face but failing, frowning. You couldn't help but be scared of him. Adrenaline uselessly pumping, run and you'd be dead. It was best to try and just talk to the guy who tried to stab you in the chest multiple times. 

Another glaring difference was that he wasn't covered in blood or deep in a state of manic sadism. Nor was he so shell shocked that he just gawked at you. Pointing his blade at you and grunting out the tired and accusatory words, "You gonna have me fuckin' killed again?"

Being a complete know it all you said, "But you're alive." Every syllable stiff yet speaking with a deep sense of familiarity. It was a weird third reunion, neither of you really knew how to proceed. The fallout after a storm, eerily calm after such chaos. 

"Did you not see what those nasty bitches did to me?" Jeff humorlessly laughed. You prayed that was a good sign. 

"No actually." You forced yourself to keep up the eye contact, believing it'd make you appear more genuine when he seemed to have a pattern of accusing you to be a liar. A few second of near passing, the cartoon playing as an ambient backdrop, hyper aware of Jane's presence only feet away. Relying on her to keep it together like she was relying on you. "I couldn't look at you like that."

"Sure ya couldn't." Jeff drawled, straightening up.

Old habits die hard. "Are you being sarcastic right now?" Just like in the old days, asking for clarification because sometimes you had a hard time with that kinda thing, even if his voice was deeper and more ragged than it had been a decade before, he was still dry as ever and hard to interpret.

Jeff's shoulders slacked, relaxing, the knife lowering to be idly swung at his side.

"Yeah." Adding a stiff nod for emphasis like he used to. You weren't sure if he felt it too, but for a second you felt like you were back in his room. Thirteen years old, blissfully unaware of the future you now sat in, talking back and forth about stupid shit or lying on his bed, listening to grungy rock music.

"Okay well, I'm," You had to stop yourself from talking with your hands, "Serious. I didn't want to see that." 

"If yer lying to me I'll," He considered various grim threats, visceral descriptions of possible agony, "Kill you." Simple, short, to the point. 

"I'm not." You dryly reassured him.

"Where the fucks the unfortunate shithead I gotta kill?" Looking around, Jeff was hard pressed to find another human being other than you. "N' where's the cunt that bashed my brains in?" Not even asking about Nina. 

"It's just us." You lied through your teeth as convincingly as you could. You did not want to give away that his child target was still here or the people who were here to protect you from him. You didn't allow him to get in a pressing question, not trusting yourself to be able to upkeep the lie. Taking a chance on him, slowly moving your hand off your lap and onto the space next to you, quickly patting it and saying, "I want to talk to you."

The invitation was something he wasn't expecting. After all, his recent record with you was quite sullied. "How do I know that you won't fucking stab me, huh?" Growing aggressive, voice spiking. 

"I have nothing on me. I can't hurt you." Forward and dry, wanting to drive the point home. Fear a heavy bowling ball in your chest. 

Jeff scoffed, swinging his knife with more of a dangerous momentum, "You wanna talk, yeah?" At least he believed you.

"Yea-"

"Talk about how much you fucking hate my guts?!" Jeff took a step forward, it took everything in you not to shrink away or scamper off the couch. "Tell me how much you hate me? Or that you always liked Liu better? That you were relieved when I disappeared? Admit it! _You wish I was dead!"_ Pure rancor radiated off him, protecting thoughts onto you. "I bet you're here to try and convince me to off mys-"

_"SHUT UP!"_ You raggedly yelled at the man, getting him to stop his hateful spiel. " _I don't hate you! I just want to talk! Stop putting words in my mouth!"_

You finished with a quivering lip and hot heat forming on your lower lids. You wanted to think that you didn't know where that outburst came from but you knew damn well. Frustration and forced growth, vertebrae of your metaphorical spine stacking up.

Jeff looked at you shocked before dryly laughing, "Look at you all tough n' shit. Never thought I'd see the day." Calming down like a flip of the switch that you turned off.

You wanted to speak firmly but you couldn't keep the obvious shake from your speech, "Are you going to sit with me or what?" Still very much on edge after his shouting. 

"Sure, you big fucking baby." Calling back to the old term of endearment with a rugged sense of friendliness as he bounded over like he owned the place. 

You slipped your hand back onto your lap, catching it with the other. Squeezing to try to reassure yourself as he loudly groaned, flopping his weight onto the cushion next to you. Heavy enough to have the sofa beneath you launch you a few centimeters into the air. Landing as he laid back into the couch, eyeing you and taking a load off but not letting go of the blade. 

It was so wildly different than every other time. No one was dead. He wasn't attacking you, instead sitting with you smelling like hot, musty garbage. Back and forth, flippant with your life when he was stalking you all those years ago. You honestly didn't know how much you could trust Nina's account of the changed man. If the indecision really was so drastic. You only knew that boy, rough around the edges and kind of a dick but still a sweetheart deep, _deep_ down. 

"Alright, so what's the deal?" Only inches away, thighs almost touching. Not swearing angrily at you, instead looking to the person he knew as awkward and bad with people. At least, that's the kid you remembered so vividly. Jeff was as unsure of you as you were of him. An air of awkward tension settling over you both.

"Uuuh, can you promise not to freak out?" Tensing up as you asked.

Jeff's cheeks shifted, a small toothy smile, "I'm constantly flipping my shit (Y/n). Already am." You supposed that you could take that as a yes. Though it didn't make you feel too confident. Friendly disposition possibly a trick of deceit but you wanted to cling onto shreds of hope, of Jeff's humanity.

You couldn't get her off your mind. Her interpretation of him as a sexy heart throb and a merciless jackass. Both iterations felt wrong, you were aware that they were though the rose colored lens of a crazed maniac. You felt like you were standing in a minefield, unaware of what topics would have him stabbing you in the gut. The questions you'd wanted to ask him all this time all seemed potentially upsetting. All about his crimes and true mental state. Nina seemed like the most lighthearted topic strangely enough. It could have been his semi-sobered demeanor that had you guessing that she wasn't very good for him like he was terrible for her.

Attempting to soften the blow of bad news was something he never liked. Coddling him wasn't an option you just had to be out with it, "So Nina-"

"I know you assholes took 'er." Jeff casually grunted, free hand coming up to scratch under his chin.

The little movement had your eyes locked onto the hand, fearing it would suddenly shoot out and have it's fingers wrapping around your neck. Still, you wanted to keep up the okay-ish rapport, "How'd you know?"

Jeff snorted, "Follows me everywhere. Fuckin' lost puppy." That wasn't any way to talk about one's girlfriend, no respect. Though she saw it as a cute and quirky thing that he did, not something messed up that she should fear and try to run from. Maybe she felt stuck in place, apologizing for his behavior to try and make it seem better? 

"Ah, I see." You stiffly nodded, further breaking Jane's direction of not moving but he didn't go to hurt you. "How do you feel about her?" You refused to use the word love in relation to the two. 

"She's fucking annoying, I guess." Jeff stopped his scratching and rested his arm at his side, face down in the space between you both. 

It felt weird to ask him questions about her knowing that he was about to shit talk someone who'd put him on an impossibly high pedestal. "How so?" It almost felt like you were both okay, talking about his rocky relationship with his girlfriend. Him talking about starting to consider the idea of leaving her but something she did kept him with her. You being the supportive friend, encouraging him to let it all out and gently pushing him to get the fuck away from her. Yet it wasn't so normal, it wasn't pathetically depressing, instead it made you think of all that you'd missed out on. 

"Never shuts up," He held up a finger for each offense, "Thinks bringing me dead cats is hot. Nags me about _'personal hygiene'._ " The entire time you were trying not to curl your nose in disgust as the strong scent of burnt plastic and pungent body odor. It was actual hell when he turned his head toward you, hot breath blowing your way. Morning breath on steroids. You felt bad for Nina, she kissed _that._ "Little fucker is always hovering around me," The heavy sigh tested your mental strength, amazingly not cringing, "She's good at one thing though."

"That is?" Please don't say a weird sex thing.

Jeff looked at you, subdued but not tamed, tired. "Waiting for you to be in a bad place, I'm talkin' _real_ off the shits. Then she pounces on ya and you let her because you feel so fucking low." They were both bad for each other, toxic.

You were hesitant to ask but you wanted to hear it, you wanted him to vent, "What does that entail?" 

He looked away from you, staring up at the ceiling and letting his head lull back onto the couch cushion. "Letting her get all cuddly n' shit when normally I hate her being anywhere near me. Real manipulative fuckin' parasite." Flat lips curling back, bearing yellow tinted teeth in disgust.

Trapped in a vicious cycle of pushing away a crazy scene chick who just wanted to hold hands while covered in blood, what a life to lead. "Why don't you just tell her you hate her or something?" Bluntly asking, assuming that was the way to go to get people to fuck off. But you'd been around the block a few times, aware that a few mean words wouldn't get someone that devoted to buzz off. 

"Tried to many, _many_ times." Jeff idly flipped the knife's handle in his palm, your breath hitched as you froze, eyes locking onto the curtains for help. This time she had her shit together, probably clenching her fists and teeth but keeping herself from pouncing on Jeff. All for the greater good that she spelled out, a vicious killer whipped out. Leaving a nasty blood stain behind that couldn't be washed away. Grieving lovers, children, parents, friends, over those he took. Then there was you, to be weeping over a rabid dog. It set in how somber the conversation really was. If Liu didn't get his way then Jeff was a dead man walking, unknowingly running out of time.

"I can't tell if I want her to fuck off forever. She's good for me _sometimes."_ The toxic waste of their relationship wasn't completely one sided. Misery loves company after all. He dryly chuckled, "Thinkin' about it, she's good at more than one thing." Gross. Jeff lazily eyed you, scanning your face for a reaction. Was he looking for pity? Jealousy?

You yourself could not discern what you were feeling. Deciding to lean back, allowing yourself to mimic his back lean. Looking at chest rising and falling beneath the thin t-shirt.

"Are you happier now?" Hoping he'd say yes, hoping that he'd be happier after escaping Nina's mental clutches. You had a strong desire to help him.

_"Do I look happy to you?"_ Despite the upward curve of his cheeks, you could make out the muscles of his face straining in a frown. Blue eye glazed over, shoulders slacked and without the thrill of a fresh kill coursing through his veins. You didn't have to answer, you both already knew what you were going to say. 

That clouded baby blue rimmed by bloodshot red wouldn't look away. Drearily croaking, _"Are you?"_

All you were was an insignificant spec in an expansive universe that you could not comprehend. Taking a year off like every other shithead to find yourself. Yet all the searching you did was for the next box of granola bars to shelve with your buddy at your side. Routine comfortable, but just that, routine. Growing drab sometimes, burnout was creeping up on you in the days before being whisked away to your own corner of hell. No friends, no phone, surrounded by enemies and someone who called you a friend. Your ultimate goal of going home was so depressingly out of reach but you still held out hope to return to your shared apartment. Living small as yet another cog in the machine.

_"I don't know."_

The breath that carried the words exited you, taking a weight off your chest with it. Dissatisfaction with your life finally voiced to someone who could put you out of your lack luster melancholy. From purgatory to somewhere else. Jeff didn't drive his knife into your chest in a self righteous mercy killing. Without Nina he was alone. You were all he had to talk to. Keeping you around longer than he would have if he was in a more normal, bloodthirsty mood. 

You eyed him, looking to the knife he fidgeted with. Considering something in the back of his mind. Though his eyes did not betray what it was he was thinking, the windows to his soul held a dim spark of pity. You swore you could hear that little boy in his voice again, soft and unsure, "I don't like it when you look like that."

"Like what?" You slowly blinked at him, vision slightly impaired by the building wetness.

"All sad 'n shit. Stop." A few minutes ago he believed that you were a traitorous wench, but now you were talking like two friends catching up. Shared sadness of unspoken regret that you drifted apart so badly. Like it was either of your choice. 

Sniffling back snot and trying to rapidly blink away the tears. Yet you couldn't fight off the building weight, overflowing and slipping past your eyelids. cathartically rolling down the side of your head, taking away a chip of the pain with it. "I can't stop. Not when I'm around you."

His fidgeting stopped as you sniveled again. Jaw clenching and lips pressing into a hard line.

"Yeah," Quietly agreeing in a croak, "I'd be depressed around me too."

You wanted to tell him it wasn't like that, but it was. Jeffery Woods made you sad. Wounded, scared, confused, he was just a fucking child when he began his violent downward spiral. Growing up with shitty manipulative assholes at his side, bits of old humanity left over and caring for you. 

News sites, TV footage, direct messages. Other accounts of that night handed to you from people who weren't there. People who didn't know him. People who didn't get his intricacies. You wanted it. The real story. Letting Jane's presence fall to the wayside in your mind, solely talking to Jeff for personal reasons, closure.

"What happened that night?" It came out a whisper, looking to his face, scarred, unrecognizable. 

Sighing, he lulled his head to side, greasy hair shifting in front of his eye, "You already kn-"

"You know what I mean." Sternly demanding with tight lips. You'd waited one fuck of a long time for this. No way were you going to let the chance slip though your fingers.

Another long and drawn out sigh emitted from him, carrying a humid and disgusting scent with it. "Just kinda happened."

"Jeff, you didn't just wake up that morning and decide to do that." Upkeeping your sternness with your building spine and falling tears, "Everything happens for a reason. Don't bullshit me, please."

He was silent a moment, inhaling and readying himself to blow the dust off a ten year old memory. "Thing is, I kinda did? But!" He confusedly admitted before you could give him a disappointed look, "It was a long time comin'. It just made sense that it happened when it did. I always knew I'd end up like this, you know?"

He never told you that, he never told you he wanted to kill his parents, that he thought he would end up a homicidal maniac. "No. I don't." 

Jeff swallowed a lump in his throat, nervous to confess, but doing so anyway. For you. "Just always kinda wanted to fucking kill somebody. Didn't know how, didn't know when. Just wanted to. Didn't help when dear old dad told me that I'd be a fucking serial killer one day when he found out what I did to Marbles." The hamster he was entrusted with at ten. The poor thing didn't last a month before Jeff told you she ran away. She went somewhere alright. 

"You gotta remember all those shitheads I tried to take on?" He cued you for a little validation.

"Mhmm. Can't ever forget Nickolas something or other." You could never recall his last name other than the fact that it was ridiculously long. Wanting to add some more but you wanted to get to the meat of his story faster.

Jeff picked up that it was his turn again pretty quick, chuckling, "Yeah. He fucked me up good, huh? Always have been a sore fucking loser. Killed his ass real sl-" He stopped the incoming tangent under your gaze that plead with him to not go into the gory details. "Right. It was like weed ya'know? Gateway drug that I couldn't stop trying to take." The elongated smile began to stiffly twitch as he fondly smiled, _"It just felt so good (Y/n)."_ Iris blowing out with the burst of serotonin he got from thinking about his dirty deeds. "They always got my ass but that wasn't completely the point. I fucking _love_ to hate." Lips curling back, bearing grayed gums rimming his toothy grin, "Just got better and better every time. I was so fucking angry all of the time." He took a hissing inhale, "Then there was the move."

"Got a lotta mixed feelings about that shit. Fought those three little shits, Liu took the fall. Pissed me the fuck off." The air around him grew more rancid by the second and it wasn't just his disgusting body odor. It was that smile he wore while detailing a series of shit, fuck, garbage events. "Long story short, Ma made me go suck Randy's ass over it. Anyway, they poured gasoline on me and shot me in the fucking face." You read all about the assholeish exploits of Randy, Keith, and Troy. They were a bunch of rotten rich kids who thought it'd be funny to set Jeff alight with a flare gun and watch the fireworks. The fireworks being him almost burning to death on the floor of Randy's garage. 

Frowning, your attention was fixated on his wide open and blind eye. The fat bald spot. You couldn't imagine. You spoke just to confirm that you were still listening, "I'm sorry."

For the pain. For not being able to save him like he tried to save you time and time again.

"You didn't pull the trigger (Y/n), don't worry about it. They got theirs in the end anyway." Head sawed off, guts spilled on his kitchen floor, and head smashed in with a meat tenderizer. Three deaths way too young. "Woke up without skin but at least what I did got Liu back home." His smile faltered, home in the line of fire.

Jeff took a moment. A long one. So long that the air in the room grew stuffy with a mix of emotions you couldn't read.

"Then what happened?" You knew the outline of the rest. Taken home despite doctors recommending he stay _way_ longer. The damage done to his body was _extensive_. It was a miracle he even survived. Hell, him waking up was a slim chance below one percent. Though consciousness would be a world of hurt, at least he wouldn't be in a coma or something of the like for months on end. The boy needed skin grafts, a glass eye, and so much more that he never got that.

You stared at his flattened nose of two long slits. Flesh displaced and pinkish, set in place years ago. As your gaze shifted to his board shoulders he continued, "Took me home. Hopped up on all sorts of shit," Humorlessly chuckling, he shook his head, "High as fuck but I knew somethin' was up. Sure, I always had homicidal tendencies n' all that shit was probably due to go apeshit in a couple years anyways. But **he** sped up the process."

Unconsciously you picked your head up with intrigue, leaning a few degrees toward him. _" **He**?"_

Noticing this, Jeff straightened up as well, only a little. "God, my memory is fucked." He sighed, slowly shifting the knife in his palm, "Did I ever tell you about the skinny cunt?"

_"Look harder! **He's** right fucking there!" _

_"I don't see anybody. I don't think anyone's out there, man."_

_"Are you fucking blind or dumb, (Y/n)?"_

You lowered your head, "I don't remember either." Memory fogged up like condensation on a window. All you could recall about the weighty use of **him** was the dreadful insults that followed it. 

"Ah!" Jeff confidently mused, leaning his body closer, "Look at us! Bunch'a old fucks who can't remember shit."

You couldn't fight the smile that decided to spread. "Yeah, we are kinda old now, huh?"

Toothy grin falling along with his cynically happy tone, "Guess we are." All grown up. One two very different paths, meeting up at a crossroads. 

Stiffening up he barked out more exposition, "Anyway, whenever I was kinda aware of what was going on **he** was there." Hate slid off of his grayed tongue and spilled past flat lips, "Always scared the shit outta me. I swear I pissed m- Nevermind. That thing was following me around for what was it?" Pausing, he deliberated, "Like a year or so? Motherfucker was everywhere. Probably in the kitchen or something right now honestly." Not possible, you believed, Jack was here and if **he** couldn't snatch Nina away then **he** sure as hell couldn't waltz on in. "Never spoke. Never actually did anything but _I know_ **he's** the reason why I did it then."

Blinking, you momentarily interrupted him, "Then?"

Jeff snickered bitterly, "Yeah. Was planin' on offing those assholes anyway but I never wanted to hurt Liu, I _need_ you to know that." A spark of desperation in his eye, growing more and more obvious, "He and you were all I had and I would have ne-" Approval, that's what he wanted, needed. 

Approval that you'd give even with the disturbing confession.

"I know you loved him." You stopped the rambling lunatic, gingerly holding up a hand in a pause. Not too confident he wouldn't grab your wrist and break it but sure enough to do so. A roll of the dice. "Liu's a good person." Was he? Deep down you still clutched onto that fifteen year old who kicked ass for you. He was a little weird at times, but you all had your quirks. Could it have been your true feelings or did you just jabber it out thoughtlessly? After all, he didn't want to bring you harm. He protected you from Natalie, he comforted you, talked to you like an actual human being. Yet there was his goal he made painfully clear. A goal reminiscing right beside you. "He understands and I'm sure he forgives you, he talks about you a lot."

Jeff probably had heard all the reassurance he needed for closure from Liu. From your first reunion it was made obvious they saw each other a decent amount to the point where Jeff found it annoying, "He was less of a pain in the ass as a kid." 

You snorted quietly, even with your unsure feelings, it was still true. As a teenager he never carried around a gun and was scarily persistent. Still, you believed that, "Liu's strange for sure but," He was caring, a protector, and didn't smell bad or try to kill you, "He's sweet, and he really cares 'bout you."

"Did-" Jeff stopped himself in a sigh, continuing in a manner that you could only describe as shy, "I always knew you liked Liu better." Disappointedly glancing away, finding the curtains Jane was behind suddenly very interesting. 

Feeling a fire under your ass to tell the truth but also to distract him from the slight bump at the bottom of the fabric, you admitted, "Nope, especially not now." A rush of relief washing over you when he paid attention to you once more. You internally were screeching at Jane for shifting her foot a few degrees.

You could have sworn Jeff puffed out his chest with new found confidence as well as an alarming increase of speed that he restlessly fiddled with his knife. While you stared at the shifting metal, Jeff mused, "Ah, so you like the crazed murderer better?"

Though you both weren't as close, Liu hadn't attempted to stab you on multiple occasions. Could you really play favorites with the Woods brothers? Two fucked up killers who were probably beyond redemption. What the hell did that make you for thinking they were good sometimes?

"I don't know how to feel about anybody right now honestly." Somberly admitting a fault to someone much worse than you was oddly comforting. At least you'd never go that low. Hopefully.

"Oh." He visibly deflated, confidence draining by the second.

Discomfort crept over the two of you with a prolonged period of silence. Emotional tension thick and your awareness of Jack and Jane alarmingly high. Though you couldn't hear or see them, you had basic object permanence. Feeling safe with them around for once. Only because Jeff wouldn't stop messing with his knife, looking at it, looking at you. Wondering. Waiting. Hesitating.

You couldn't take the anticipation anymore, "Why'd **he** make you hurt Liu?" 

The fact that you validated the existence of his boss, playing with the idea that he wasn't all bad but controlled, had Jeff looking less glazed over.

"Probably to fuck me over more." You rose a brow while he spoke, "Too bad though. Already was traumatized, but a little more emotional baggage never hurt no one." You weren't too sure about that. "I don't do a lotta thinkin' but the few times I have I thought that it was like, **him** tryna' make me all pathetic. All sad n' shit." He brought a closed fist to his working eye, gesturing an obnoxious motion that implied he was sobbing, "' _B_ _oohoo my life sucks I killed my brother. Might as well let myself be a twink's bottom bitch!'_ Thing is it didn't take into account that 'cha can't break what's already broken!" You'd beg to differ, he looked worse than ever. "Sure, I stabbed the shit out him but it made me _stronger._ Honestly, pretty small price to pay to have a life _like this."_ Happily relaxing further into the couch after he said that. Did he even care that he hurt Liu? At the time probably, but now he saw it as a window of murderous opportunity. "And he was fine in the end so we're all good." Clearly not. 

Jeff had the attitude of a rich high school bully. Go with the flow and good things will come. Do bad shit and expect to get out of it via some higher power. Letting out a shuddering exhale he jabbered, "Anyway. Got home. Life sucked. Saw shit. Skinny fuck made me walk, late night went to the kitchen, got a knife," Quickly firing off the cliffnotes of probably the worst night of his life, which was understandable to not want to go into insane detail about, "I was kinda moving and thinking for myself but I wasn't, ya'know?"

You blinked at him, "No." Not wanting to give much more than that, the man was starting to look scarily restless.

"Well, if ya don't I literally can not describe the feeling other than it's like _that._ " You just nodded so he'd continue, "Did this shit to myself," He pointed the knife to his cheeks in a gesture that had your stomach churning. You couldn't get the mental image of that kid out of your head, crying, in pain, hurting himself but being forced to do it. "Woke up mom and dad." You didn't like that laugh, short and singular. Like he was recalling the sweet memory of an old friend other than brutally murdering two people who in his eyes deserved it. "Made 'em piss their pants then I got on top of dad and-" Suddenly bringing up his knife and swinging it down.

**THUD.**

Upon it's impact with the wooden table you gasped, instinctively jerking away but forcing yourself not to run. Hating the way that he eyed you as he bent himself forward to retrieve his blade, sunken nearly to the handle. As he wrapped individual fingers around the black plastic as he yanked the weapon from the wood, throwing it over his head and shouting, _"Then there was mom!"_

**THUD.**

_"Over and over."_ The table terribly shuddered under the force. You were stiff as a board, breaths short and glancing over and over again to the curtains for some backup. Jane had done a spectacular job of not losing it on the greasy men yet but now you wished she would. It seemed to you that Jeff's subdued melancholy was wearing off, homicidal urges acting up. Honestly, you wouldn't be surprised if he was stabbing the table as a substitute for your chest.

Dramatically heaving and slouched over, Jeff jerked his arm up. Pressing on with a growl, sharpened metal above his head once again, " _Lastly there was my brother!"_

**THUD.**

Finally finished with his angry stabbing of the table he was left with his hair in his face, body shuddering with kicked up memories of rage, hate, and helplessness. He didn't need to strike the table more than he already did, one forceful jab for each person. You knew that they got more than just one wound. It wasn't that simple or quick. 

Fear had a harsh hold on your heart, chills down your spine, and heart rate flying. Your legs energized and ready to haul ass out of there. But you stayed. Taking a chance on him, on your life. What for? Jane's greater good? Closure for you? To help him for just a few seconds? You had no clue as to why, you just acted. A hand firmly clasped onto his shoulder, hair so greasy it was damp under your palm.

Jeff was frozen under the touch you initiated. You had no words of comfort, of wisdom, just another question, _"Why didn't you kill me too?"_ Not exactly on that night, just in general. He had years to do it but he never could. Even know when faced with on an opposing end he couldn't bring himself to completely do it. 

There was no suspenseful pause, no moment eerie quiet. As he unjammed the knife from the wood, he sighed, "Dunno," Groaning as he collapsed back into the cushions, your hand falling off his shoulder, "Guess **he** just wants me to suffer." He sounded so much different than he just had, instead of angry he was _exhausted._

You frowned, unable to discern if you life was in the hands of a higher power or Jeff's indecisive nature. Both were confusingly scary. You guess you could say you were exhausted too. Tired off all of this, the fear and confusion. Never being completely safe. Not having the comforts of home anymore. 

It took you a few seconds to build up the courage to ask. Clenching and unclenching your fists and rocking your heels into the floor, spurring yourself on to ask, "Why does me being alive hurt you?" Tonight really was just the world's saddest and fucked up game of twenty questions.

He always was a man of action. Sighing as he dragged his torso your way. Bumping his shoulder with yours and leaning his head down. The top of his head grazed against your cheek as he moved, finally settling down. Head on your shoulder, intimately vulnerable. Bald spot on full display, deep divots in his flesh surrounded by a jagged circle of black. He tilted his head back ever so slightly to look up at you at meet your eye. Unable to blink and unable to cry, brow bones downcast and pressed together. Signifying something you guessed was expectation. There was a melancholic sense of déjà vu that nagged away at you. One of the specific things in your memory that stuck out about the night that he left was where you gave his forehead a peck. Now so much longer with a hairline starting to receded young just like his father.

You hurt him because all that Liu said was true. Jeff was in love with you then and still is now. Gently, you leaned your head over his and forced yourself to deal with the scent of toxins of all sorts and his disgusting manly musk. Upon resting your head of his, you turned and placed a ghost of a peck upon his sweaty forehead. Though you didn't feel the same, you meant the gesture as one of old friendship, a callback to old times where everything sucked a lot less. 

Jeff tensed a moment, you were sure that he had a stupid look of shock upon his gnarled face. He then sighed, leaning further into you. The two of you sat like that for awhile. Trying your best to be at peace. 

You didn't close your eyes and completely relax into him. Simply not trusting him not to hurt you if you were that vulnerable with him. The lull in conversation was odd, you kept looking to the curtain to see if Jane was going to poke her head out or rip herself out from behind the covering to stab him. She didn't. Unseen, Jack stayed where ever he showed himself away and the child that hid had managed to not make a sound. You supposed this was the best possible outcome. So far you hadn't been stabbed, Jeff told you bits of his life story that you didn't get to see, he was showing you a more humane side of himself. You didn't know how getting fired from his dirty job worked but still, you hoped this was all it took. 

You found that your eyes absently wandered after staring curiously at the curtain. Floating down to his lap, the patches of white showing through stains of crusty brown. Cuffs of the sleeves worn and frayed even more than they had been when you stole it. Purple strings stitched what you supposed were cuts in the fabric together. Wear and tear from years of use, victims fighting back. 

"You still wear this old thing?" You quietly marveled, hand subconsciously gliding down your thigh and grabbing hold of the nearest sleeve. It wasn't soft anymore. Rubbing the fabric between two fingers you found that the texture was coarse and uncomfortable. To you it felt like the last thing on earth you'd want to put on.

"Hah," His gaze fell to your slowly shifting fingers, taking up the other sleeve in his calloused palm, "Yeah. Could never bring myself to get rid of it." Jeff admitted in a mumble. Humming, you pulled on the sleeve to admire the neat stitch work. "Nina hates it but she always insists on fixin' the thing up," He laughed with a sense of subdued misery, "How is the bitch anyway?"

You couldn't completely pin Jeff's opinion of her. Thinking that it was best to not let him know about you stabbing her or the fact that she was thirty feet away in the back of Liu's van. Tied up and tranquilized. You ran your thumb over the stitches that she must have sewn together painstakingly with a sense of resentment for what the article of clothing meant. "She's alright. Talks a lot."

"Tell me about it." You could only imagine how she acted around him. Kissing the ground he walked on, enabling shitty behavior yet nagging him to maintain some hygiene for both of their sake.

"Wish I could, talks a mile a minute I can hardly understand what shes saying half the time." You lied once more. Truthfully, you didn't want to get into how much she hated you. Your aim was not to put thoughts of gutting you into his head. 

"That's Nina for ya." After the comment the conversation fell into another long lull. Yet it wasn't silent. He kept grazing the knife back and forth on his pant leg. Not pressing into it with the sharp side, just idly running it over dirty denim. You watched him continue the repetitive movement for some time before the blades path shifted. Sliding over to your hand. 

Before you knew it his knife was on your skin. Ghosting over your middle finger and training down your palm. Reasonably, you froze as it continued to travel over the crux of your wrist and onto the fabric of your jacket. Starting to lightly press down just enough to begin to slice the tiny threads. 

You should have been more ready for this but you simply weren't. Knowing something like this would occur but not knowing the severity, not knowing when it'd happen.

"What?" Jeff snickered as the blade curved up along your elbow, "You think I'm gonna hurt you?" Teasingly mocking you while all you could do was sit there. Afraid if you moved then he'd apply more force, drag the metal in so deep he'd graze your bone.

You both knew the answer to that. He'd promised to bring you harm in the worst ways possible. There was nothing to say on your end. You could feel the end drawing near. Hopefully not of your life, but simply this interaction. Though you knew it was likely a fantasy that Jeff would just get up and go.

Exhaling the pungent stench of unbrushed teeth, Jeff mused, "Maybe I should do it." With every word he grew more convinced, more cruel, more selfish, "You're right here. You're not running, screaming. It'd be so easy." The point of the blade rested at you shoulder, just a quick slice to the side and you'd be gone forever. _"I wouldn't have to suffer anymore."_

It worked last time, you hoped to whatever higher power there was that it'd work again, _"Jeff, please don't."_ The phrase held a desperate urgency but much less convincing energy. Not in the heat of the moment, running for dear life. Simply on some strangers couch and waiting to be saved or stabbed.

Still cuddling up to you, shoulders flushed together and heads leaning on each other, he brought the knife away from your shoulder. Flipping it in his palm, metal pointing at your neck only inches away. "I'll make it quick. It's the least I can do after I fucked everything up."

"You don't have to do this!" You argued but you knew his mind was made up when he delivered the sentence so flatly. 

"We both know," He slowly began as he reeled his arm back, blue eye gleaming from your shoulder, "That this is for the best." You could only describe his attitude as glazed over and dimly blissful. The best possible outcome for him was killing you like this, on peacefully loving grounds.

_"Bullshit!"_

His gnarled fist jerked forward with the impact. Hand being forced open by the sudden wound. Knife dully plopping onto your lap while another stuck out of his shaking palm. Jane stood across the room, curtains thrown dramatically to the side and arm extended in place after she let the weapon fly from her fingertips.

You took the sudden violence toward him as a cue to move. Quickly pulling yourself away, not forgetting to grab the blade while you leapt off the couch.

 _"Of fucking course!"_ The hateful boom full of angry agony returned to his voice while chairs distantly scraped against floor. "Should'a known you were fucking lying to me you ungrateful little whore!" Jeff shot to his feet, unharmed hand snatching the other blade by its handle and slowly jerking it from his flesh.

You didn't know where to run, what to say, just acting on the judgement that Jane could use the knife better than you could. Pivoting on your foot, you gently tossed the thing in her general direction while Jeff completely freed the blade from his bloody palm with a sound of wet suction.

Deciding now was time for your last question, "How the fuck am I ungrateful?!" Fueled by a spike of adrenaline and stupid confidence that came with Jane catching the knife, reeling her arm back for another throw. As well as Jack's distinctly loud footsteps rattling the earth right beside you, masked face ducking under the wooden doorway.

"Because I was giving you the easy way out!" Deeply scarred cheeks sickly stretching with his screeches, "Just had to try n' take a chance on you but fucking noooooo! You just gotta always be with your new friends don't you?! Can't trust anybody," Jane let the blade fly while Jack walked past you, "Who says they care about," Jeff threw his arm back looking to do to you what Jane had done to him but much more devastating, "Some sad fuck like me- _Oh for fucksssss saake."_

She got him in the soft flesh of his working eye. A sight that made your stomach clench, reminding you of Nina but worse. The weapon longer and thicker than that of a needle. Pushing past his optic nerve and likely into his brain. Staggering, blind eye dimly fixated in your general direction, he babbled a few incoherent words, you thought them to be curses and your name, wishes to end your life. Jane breathed a sigh of satisfied relief when Jack snatched him by the throat. Lifting his feet off of the ground like he weighted less than a pillow.

You watched Jack's grip on his throat dangerously tighten. Leaving the man gasping, violently shuddering while his body shut down. The tall man wasn't phased in the slightest, calmly speaking, "Olsen, we are going to be going now. Call your fathers immediately when you're comfortable to come out. Sorry for all of this." 

There was no confirmation from the boy in the closet other than the soft crying. It was over for the lot of you but for him the trauma would probably last a while. Not knowing what the hell was going on. Sure to find Jeff's blood splattered on his living room couch.

Jack began to move toward the still open door, Jeff limply dangling from his palm. "Where are you taking him?" Jane questioned, moving away from her hiding spot and toward you.

"Car. I'm not leaving him with a child." He deadpanned as he ducked under the front door, "I'll dispose of him a few towns away." Humanity, the man eater had humanity. Curious.

"Understood," The two were strictly business, no witty back and forth, which was odd yet comforting, as it showed that they did sometimes know what teamwork was, "(Y/n)." You turned to her, lips pursed and body shaking. She put a hand upon the shoulder that he'd just been leaning on, not cleansing it of his stink but comforting you in a way he could not, you could hear a smile in her voice, "You did good. Let's go."

You nodded, glancing toward the shut closet door, "What about him?"

"What do you mean?" 

"Won't he come back to-" You held your tongue, knowing Olsen could hear every word. The last thing that you wanted was to unnecessarily scare the child. 

She sighed as you crossed the living room with her at your side, her hand reassuringly placed on your back, her touch for once comforting and not oppressive. "It's possible. Sometimes these things are inevitable," You felt your teeth clench while your stomach sank, "But sometimes," Her grim tone had a weakly hopeful upturn, " **H** **e** can be fickle. It's very well possible that this family will never be targeted again. All we can do is hope that they won't be." So she did care about other people who weren't of use to her on some sort of level. 

Back in the car Nina was still knocked out. Drooling all over Liu's bed sheets while a kind of dead Jeff being held up by Jack was only a few feet away. If she were up, you were sure that she'd be thrashing about to try to get to him. You didn't feel like talking for a while, eyes focused on the hands fidgeting on your lap. Every syllable, movement, expression ingrained in your skull. Neither of your companions pressed you for thoughts and opinions. There were no more words of consolation either. It wasn't until you heard the distinct sound of one of the back doors opening that had you stiffly turning around and looking into the back of the car.

**Ker-thunk!**

You blinked once, twice, three times. "I-"

Jack held onto Jeff's ankle, letting the man drag behind on the moving pavement. It was too dark to get a good view of anything but he was leaving behind a trail of skin and blood. He hadn't really seemed to hold a personal grudge against Jeff so him skinning him on asphalt was a surprise. In your shock you bluntly asked, "Why are you doing that?"

"He was going to hurt a child," Jack replied, other hand coming up to his mask and pushing it back into his hair, "That's something that I don't take very lightly." Any normal person would find the harm of children deplorable, but there was a passionate intensity underlying his statement.

You wanted to think about something else, trying to peel your eyes away from your childhood friend, "Do you have a kid or something?" 

"No." He flatly replied, idly sliding Jeff side to side to shift him around and have more surface area skinned. Jane was just letting it happen, likely with a satisfied smile. The night continued to be full of surprises when he continued, "But I do have a few younger sisters."

"Oh!" You probably should have seen the sibling thing coming. Jack looked pretty young and didn't really have a dad vibe to him. "That's why you were so good with that kid." You thought aloud. 

"Yep."

You shouldn't pry but you really just wanted anything to cling onto something that wasn't the man dragging on the road, "Why'd you put the mask on if you know how handle a kid? Like, if I was little someone talking to me with a mask on would be really scary."

Jack turned his head to you as a tar-like tear dribbled down his gray chin. "Because I look like this," You caught sight of the glinting white canines, the writhing black behind them, "And that's a lot scarier to a child than a mask."

"Oh." You felt kinda bad for the guy. "I'd probably just assume it was a costume?" You attempted to console him on instinct. Used to comforting Noah whenever he felt down about being fat. 

"A scary costume," He argued, "That is _very_ real." You wanted to say that he wasn't scary but whenever you thought about him holding you up against that locker your fight of flight response would kick up.

You still wanted to talk but not about that. A conversational dead end. The elephant in the room was Jeff, what you talked about, what progress you made.

Yet you still needed time but you did have the heart to ask, "Isn't doing that a waste of food for you?"

"Well technically someone like him _should_ be good for me. But, the first and last time I took a bite out of him I woke up a week later on a pile of corpses and covered in my own molten vomit."Jack's elaboration only confused the ever-loving shit out of you.

"Excuse me, _what?"_ Jane marveled as she turned the car around a bend.

"He's a drug addict, I should have known better." He coyly avoided the more alarming parts of his statement.

"No, no, no, don't dodge the question." Jane shook her head, "Rewind, pause. What do you mean someone like him and uhm- _Molten vomit?"_

"Oh, have I never told you?" Jack casually asked.

Jane scoffed out a laugh, "No!"

"My stomach acid and anything it digests is incredibly hot."

"Like, how hot?" Jane stopped the car at a red light, casting Jack a look in the rear view mirror.

"Hot enough to melt the face off of a person." He chirped, readjusting his grip on Jeff's ankle.

"Oh my god." Was all you could say.

"I'm a god." He snarkily claimed like it was the most normal thing in the world. "And as for those I eat, they're kinda like," He tapped his chin in thought, "Sacrifices. Some are more _satisfying_ than others."

"Like, body mass wise?" You questioned, casting a glance at Jane in your mutual confusion. 

"Well yes and no. It fills my stomach but consuming a sinner satiates _it_ more than eating a good person does." Chatting away, lifting Jeff's limp body up a bit just to slam it against the passing road deservingly, it still made your heart clench though.

Jane clicked her tongue, "That makes no sense." It felt like a conversation between friends. Joking and admitting things that weren't the prettiest.

"That's just being a god for you." Jack casually brushed off her comment.

"What god are you anyway?" You asked with a cringe at the sound of Jeff being dragged along. Shirt definitely torn open, part of you hoped the hoodie wouldn't be damaged too bad. You knew what it was like to lose a comfort item. Thinking about Rake with your Fresno nightcrawler pin, at least it was in good claws though and not to be destroyed.

Readily answering with a small smile, enjoying your mutual confusion, "An ancient one." 

Thankfully the mood was starting to lighten, drifting away from Jeff who was being dragged against the ground as soon as the light turned green. No cars were behind you yet, but you could only imagine the horror of seeing that.

"Cthulhu?" You glanced to the chibi green head near your collar, a face full of little appendages.

He snickered, "That's so cliche." If he had eyes you were sure he'd be rolling them.

"What am I supposed to guess?" You gasped in a softly friendly tone, "You have tentacles-"

"I told you, they're extra appendages." The man haughtily corrected, a sudden mass of scaly black emerged from the bottom of his trench coat. Flicking back and forth, showing itself off, "Do you see any suction cups on this?" He didn't wait for a reply, "No, you don't." It slipped back under his clothes.

"Then tell us what you are." 

"What are you?" 

You and Jane had different ways of approaching the question but the response to both inquiries was the same.

Jack grinned, showing off sharp pearly whites, "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Promptly after that, he swung his arm to the side and threw Jeff out of view. A loud _thunk_ was heard in relation to him hitting something. All you could hope was that when he came to, he wouldn't be too angry. You hoped you could talk with him like that again when you regained the emotional energy. For now though, you'd speculate whatever the fuck Jack was with Jane. Despite Jeff just being near, the two easily took your thoughts away from the grim outcome of the night, of the future that was sure to be filled with hardship.


	23. 22 - Chekhov's Gun

as some sort of backstabbing asshole. Waiting, hoping that you could convince him otherwise, but you couldn't. Honestly, you were sure he probably had some idea that you weren’t lying about being forced to be there. You were being moved around like a Barbie doll, being told how to move and talk. 

No matter what way he took it, you were still here, and it wasn’t the worst place to be. Close, but not quite rock bottom. Jack and Jane had been going back and forth for some time now. Mostly it was Jane guessing what exactly Jack was. Getting it horribly wrong every time, making Jack chuckle and sputter to her discontent. At one point asking if he was Bigfoot. Which could have been possible. He was big enough, bipedal, but he wasn’t covered in hair. When you asked him curiously about the possibility of him being hairy under all that leather he just looked at you without eyes for awhile. 

You didn’t scratch the possibility off, he could have gotten fucked up a few times and walked around the North America’s for a few years.

“I’m only twenty-five. The Sasquatch has been around for two hundred or so years.” Jack dashed your fantasies of conversing with Bigfoot with a single fact. 

“Well, you _could_ be that old,” Jane joked, their chitchatting not completely mean-spirited for once, “And we’d have no idea.”

“Are you saying I look like I’m two hundred?” He questioned with a tilt of his head. Admittedly, no he didn’t. Jack looked his age even if he was gray and always leaking some strange substance. 

Jane paused, mask shifting so her eye holes were reflected in the rear view mirror. Feigning thoughts a moment before she confidently answered, “Yes.”

The man huffed out a laugh, “Fair enough. Not true though.”

Hints of his own vanity shone through his words. Thinking he’d make a child sob at the sight of him, but knowing he didn’t have many wrinkles that came with old age. Although he did have the soft indents of the beginning stages of crows feet starting to form at the corners of his eyes, Jack didn’t look a day over twenty-five. Also he didn’t act like he was that old, smart, but he didn’t speak and act with the wisdom you’d expect from someone who’d lived through that much time.

For someone who played it so cool, he weirdly cared about holding onto his young age, societally tied to beauty. His own tinges of narcissism became obvious even to you with the gentle insistence to Jane that he was young. It mattered enough to the lazy god-thing that everyone in the car knew that he was young and relatable to some degree. Perhaps wanting to perceived as an Adonis which he already did appear to be. You wouldn't be admitting to that anytime soon.

Time kept ticking on by without Natalie’s clock to count down the seconds. Conversation morphing topic to topic, your attention wavering in and out. Neither of them or the still passed out Nina doing anything to try to rip your head from the clouds. Indulging in a fantasy world where you were home and everything was more okay. You sadly knew how trapped you were in reality all the same. It may have been scary and confusing, but at least you were alive to be scared and confused. Another day moving through time, moving forward with your demons. Telling yourself that it’d be okay. Even if you didn’t feel strong or resilient you were still here, still alive to see the sun crawling over the passing tree line. Still alive, able to escape with working legs.

She was one of the reasons why your life went down this path, but thanks to her you were sitting in the passenger seat, fidgeting with your fingers and thinking of your future. Jane was far from a friend to you, quite the opposite actually but you still found yourself blurting out, “Thanks for saving my life.”

Your skin grossly crawled while you remembered his breath ghosting against your neck, raising the knife to cut you wide open. Someone you were so close to was so mentally far away, ready to kill you when Jane held an obvious dislike for you. Yet she not once attempted to take you life, more stable and less angry, though you couldn’t say by a large margin. 

“We need you alive.” Jane flatly informed you, all business no empathy, “Think nothing of it.” Trusting the phrase from a kind pleasantry to something that was casually brushing off your fear of an unfaithful demise. Reminding you not so gently that all you were to these people was a tool to be used. 

Your guts folded in on themselves with a dreaded distaste as you eyed her. A recognizable silhouette of hair flowing around her shoulders, waves of pitch black descending down her broad back. Softly muscular arms shifting ever so slightly as she steered the car around a corner. Pale orange light coming down from the sun to accentuate her radiance. There was a deep element of the unknown to her, a face behind the stark white. Brown eyes behind pools of mesh black. Tinged and scarred skin glowing in the morning rays, less of an oddity and more of a beautiful sight to behold. Alluring swirls of skin were a visual stimulus that you suddenly couldn't pull your gaze away from.

Jane was a vengeful, bossy, terrifyingly strong woman who also had a skewed moral compass, but you could not deny the fact that she was like siren and you a knowledgeable sailor. Aware of her callousness, the threat she posed, but staring at her anyway. The sudden inclusion of red in her color palette only further illustrated the visual idea of rage and terror. Red symbolized passion as well, love and a lot more. Though it wasn't much more than a dim glow, it looked good on her. You wondered if she wore more colors or was completely married to the all black aesthetic.

"You're staring." Her voice bluntly kicked your thoughts away. Jumping back in your seat with a blink, realizing you were at a red light. You made a bit of a show of looking away to your doors window, finding the road beside you very interesting all of a sudden.

Slapping on a half hearted explanation, "Spaced out." 

She scoffed, "Don't lie to me." Her accusatory tone had you turning your head back toward her, "I know you were staring at me. If you think I'm disgusting just say it already."

You were genuinely floored at her assumption. On top of that, why the hell did she care if you thought she was pretty or not? Well, her ego was a lot bigger than she acted like it was, it was very possible that the superficial opinions of others meant a lot to her. "I-"

Jane didn't allow you to push out your explanation, yapping angrily, "I'm used to people looking at me like _that_. Save your breath."

You were looking at her in a manner that was inappropriate. As a kidnapping victim, you didn't think it was very normal to admire the body of the one who aided in your misery. It wasn't that kind of stare though. No predatory lust, no disgusted judgement, just eyeing her as a mildly interested onlooker. 

Pulling your lips into a tight line, you found irritation clawing up your throat. Threatening to get ahold of your tongue and show her for once. You swallowed hard, this wasn't a hill that you wanted to die on. A fight that you didn't want to pettily pick. Though you'd at least try to weakly defend yourself so you wouldn't look guilty through silence and inaction. Thinking she was the weird one for caring about your opinion when you yourself were going to try and make yourself look better in her eyes. It was stupidly vapid. 

Speaking flatly, hoping that the more serious tone would have her understand what you were trying to say. "It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like?" Jane viciously demanded.

"I don't know? You're just interesting to look at," Her mask turned your way, smiling at you but you could feel the cold stare behind mesh black, "Not in a bad way!" Being crazy around these people for so long was rubbing off on you, wasn't it? 

Taking a moment to process, Jane tapped her gloved fingers on the steering wheel. Huffing out, " _People like you_ don't look at people like me in a good way."

Her weak gotcha's were starting to get to you. Letting pettiness creep up on you, snapping at her, "You don't know me!" Jane didn't know you as a person, she had no right to label you as this or that. Even as something you didn't understand that she was getting at.

"Oh yeah?" Challenging you as she stomped her foot on the break. You jerked forward, seat belt digging into your chest, gasping out and internally cursing the stop sign she'd suddenly noticed in her annoyance fueled tunnel vision.

As you lightly coughed, Jane began rattling off a list, "Well, (Y/n) (L/n), age twenty-three who's roommate's name is Noah Barkley." You gave her a displeased look, that was surface level information. Only spurring her on, "Also I know your address, you work at Shoprite, you _had_ the same routine everyday."

"And I know your blood type." Jack interjected, you were semi-curious as to how he figured that out. 

"And I know that you've got Jeff wrapped around your fingers." 

"And I know that you taste good." 

It still all surface level but getting slightly creepier "That doesn't mean that either of you know me as a person." You said, glancing at Jack in the rear view. Unamused with how it seemed that he wasn't taking you very seriously.

There were some who could claim they did, like the Woods brothers, but they knew you a long, long time ago. Liu didn't know the adult you and neither did Jeff, no matter the nostalgia and bittersweet memories that you shared, none of these people understood you as you were. Noah did and he wasn't here. You missed being known, understood, cared for.

Deciding to ignore your entire point, Jane gunned for another obvious fact. "I know that you're scared of me, (Y/n)." Trying to emphasis some sort of weird projection of self hate. "I kipnapped you. I ruined your already pathetic little life, you'd be a fool to find me anything but repulsive." Voice growing more and more icy, hateful but the potent feeling wasn't completely directed at you. You didn't quite know what to say to her intensity, not knowing how to challenge her or why you wanted to. Maybe you just wanted something to do other than want to piss your pants and wallow. _"Say it. Tell me you think I'm disgusting."_

Staring at her a moment, the gears in your head spun and clicked together. Having somewhat of an idea of what she was doing but wanting to part in it.

"I'm not feeding into your self deprecation!" Jane may have not been your favorite person by a long shot and she honestly deserved to hit her shin with a razor scooter going mock speed but still, you weren't going to give her what she wanted. She'd taken enough from you, drained you emotionally dry. You were going to say what you wanted, except things that'd get Jane's fist in your face. "Both of you are grown ass adults, you know what I mean." You said right after telling yourself you'd be careful, thinking out goodbyes to your front teeth, you continued to jabber while you could, "You guys don't understand how I process shit. You've known me what? A few weeks at best? You don't how to read me or anything like that, so stop putting words in my mouth."

Your teeth were pleasantly not knocked out of your gums. No fists o' fury came anywhere near your face. Instead Jane mulled over your exclamation for some time. You let her, nerves beginning to settle down and irritation staring to dwindle. 

She spoke quizzically, posture ridged, "Then tell me (Y/n), what do you see when you look at me?"

You saw a lot of things, some literal, some more metaphorical. Having to ask yourself if she wanted to be psychoanalyzed or if she was fishing for a compliment or to catch you in a lie; get you to admit that you thought she was nothing more than a rotten bitch. You could go on and on about her, every little intricate thought you had during the entire ordeal. Hell, you could go on and on about any of them for hours. Though you'd only known them a short time, there was a gross intimacy when being forced to live with people, adapt to their routines, live in a slice of their fucked up world. Some things were growing familiar, Jane and Jack's passion for dark clothes, Rake's uncanny whistling, Natalie's pacing, Nina's twenty minute tangents, Liu's quiet presence. All of it, all of them becoming a part of your everyday. 

Short and simple was the way to go. A little bit of a slip that you knew there was something up with her but a little bit of resistance to her forceful demands for your verbal hatred. "I see a woman who looks nice in certain lighting and is afraid of something I can't name." Fucking got 'em.

_"I'm not afraid of anything."_

Denial, anger, products of fear. But what was it was she so scared of?

Nina had only just begun to stir when Jack was tying her back to the piercing chair. Knots intricate and tighter than Liu's, making you feel a little at ease knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to rattle the chair with her jerking around anymore. 

Liu was in a bit of an odd place himself. Earlier when you were approaching the broken down accessory shop, you saw that he had lain himself on the dirty floor. Sprawled out in the middle of the corridor a few stores away, holding up a shaky thumbs up when Jack called out to him to ask about his well being. 

You knew the women got into an argument of some sort before, but you hadn't expected Jane to give her the silent treatment. Crossing her arms when she entered the store, Natalie bolting down the corridor waving two arms up in the air.

She'd screamed, "Janey baby! Missed ya! Sorry I didn't catch you guys at the door, was in the pisser!" Real charmer that one was.

Currently, you'd taken a few step away from Jane and crossed your arms over your chest reassuringly. Tension thick, air buzzing with the distinct energy of a fight about to break out. Things to be said that they didn't completely mean, but that still held a weighty significance at the same time. The only sounds were Nina's confused grunting and Jack's coat loudly squealing with his movements.

Natalie tried to cut through the prickly mood, "Come'ere Dollface." She called with arms swinging open, bounding up to Jane. 

In turn she held her arm out, pushing it firm against Natalie's chest and moving her away. You had sudden flashes of them going at it when you'd first escaped, the unabashed slobbery passion: A grand contrast to now. The touch between them short and stiff, Natalie backing off with furrowed brows. 

"What the deal?" Natalie huffed, mirroring Jane's crossed arms.

The woman clicked her tongue, shifting her weight to one side, popping out her hip with a sense of sassy pettiness. "I don't know _Nat,_ what's your deal?"

You could suddenly feel two pairs of eyes on you and a set of empty sockets, listening to the drama unfold with raised brows. An unreadable feeling emitted from the couple, one that made you very, very confused for a few seconds. That was until you started to put together the context clues, realizing just exactly what was going on.

Natalie beat you to the verbal punch, "Are you _seriously_ still hung up on that?" She spoke with a sense of belittlement, downsizing what Jane was so upset about.

"Yes." She icily replied, mask tilting slightly more toward you.

In turn, you began to fidget with one of the pins. Listening intently to Natalie's defense, "It's no biggie that the newbie," She jutted her head your way, calling even more uncomfortable attention to you, "Can call me by a fucking nickname."

Suddenly, the femme placed her hands on either one of her hips. Evening out her weight, a power stance that spelled out domestic doom. Delivering the news with flat rage, "You made me call you Clockwork for _six months._ You can _not_ tell me that it's not a big deal. Jack still can't call you _Nat._ "

"Actually," He interjected with dull interest, "I call her whatever I want because I know she can't do anything about it." There was a hint of a coy smirk on the edges of his lips. Fanning the flames for his own entertainment but also telling the truth. A little shit, but also not one to sweep things under the rug. You couldn't tell if he was butting in for the sake of drama or if he wanted to straighten things out, not let Jane assume incorrectly to the argument could be sorted out faster.

"Call me Clockwork more often, shithead." Natalie reminded the man with a frown, frustration taking hold.

Straight forward as always, "No." 

"Fuck you." Natalie spat.

_"Nat."_ Jane called back her attention off the petty fight, danger radiating off her. She wasn't threatening your life in the slightest, you just didn't want to be around the argument. It was like being around your friend when their parents were screaming at them and you'd just sit there, not knowing what to do with yourself.

Scoffing annoyedly, she barked, "Babe! It's _really_ not a big deal!" 

As the words hung in the air, you became very aware of the vicious jealousy emitting from Jane, almost as strong as Jeff's body odor. Even more aware of the fact that you were wearing Natalie's clothes. Borrowed of course, not having a wardrobe of your own, that you couldn't help but you still felt like Jane was taking it into account, stacking it up as another offense on her partner's end.

"Okay," She made air quotes, " _Clockwork."_

Natalie clicked her tongue in disbelief with a humorless laugh, "You know _damn well_ that after the incident I hated everybody I met!"

"Oh," Jane's voice took on fake sickly sweetness, "So, you don't hate _her?"_

Internally, you screeched as Natalie glanced at you with tight lips. "That's not what I meant."

Snottily scoffing, Jane demanded, "Then enlighten me!"

"We met a few months after _that,_ I was pissed off all the time! I let him call me that and then he fucking stabbed me, Jane!" Speaking passionately with her hands, the woman scrambled to make a point, "I wasn't ready for anyone to call me by my name for a long time!" 

The goth seemed to consider the valid argument for a moment before she sighed raggedly, "I had to work for your trust and she just got it like _that."_ Sharply snapping for emphasis.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Natalie grumbled pissily, "She stabbed loose lips over there, it's just a reward as like, incentive to do it again."

"An _incentive?!"_ Even you had to admit, that was a bit off, "(Y/n) knows to do as we say. We don't need to give her any special privileges to make her do things for us."

"My name isn't a special privilege." Natalie weakly argued.

"Then why did you just call it a reward?" Scoffing, the woman shook her head, hair dramatically shifting across her back with the movement.

"Who the fuck just said I have loose pussy lips?" Nina quietly mumbled, butting into the tense moment.

"Ah, you're awake." Jack exclaimed like she didn't just say that.

Only for a second Natalie let herself snicker, clarifying when Jane snapped her masked face to her. You could only imagine the piercing glare behind her mask. "I didn't even- No one said that." 

"Oh," Nina dimly realized, "Well I have you know, it's not loose. It's like-"

"Nobody wants to know whatever you're about to say." Jack bluntly stated, covering her mouth with a gray hand.

"Yeah! Booo!" Seeing a chance to lighten the mood, Natalie joked, "We hate your pussy!"

Her partner didn't find any hilarity in it. Staying eerily quiet through the short ordeal, impatiently tapping the toe of her heeled boot on the carpet. Seeing this, Natalie groaned, rolling her eye and slacking her shoulders in mild defeat. "What else do you want me to say?"

"I want you to admit it." There was a sharpness, an accusation that you couldn't quite figure out. 

"Admit what?" 

"You know what I mean." She crossed her arms over her chest once more with a sense of harsh judgement. 

"Are you trying to imply something!?" Natalie shouted, a stupid look of disbelief written across her face.

Nodding for emphasis, Jane snapped, "Yes, yes I am." 

"This is fucking ridiculous! You're like my-" Garbling her speech for a moment, blurting out, "My _raison d'être!_ I haven't even looked at her ass in the same way that I've looked at yours!" Ceasing her little speech, stiffening up as she realized she just fucked up.

You felt a little bit objectified. Shuffling away so she wouldn't be able to see even the slightest curve of your ass. Hands stiffly coming to your sides to further hide your frame. 

"You've looked at her ass?" Jane questioned with a clear note of disapproval.

"I have an eye, it looks places." Natalie defended herself, straining to not look at you, one of the roots of the argument. The other being discord that already existed in their relationship. You hadn't the faintest clue as to how deep their relationship was. Though you were now starting to infer it was a little more than making out sometimes. There was emotional investment, stakes high enough that Jane really cared of Natalie even looked at another woman in a slightly suggestive way.

Discordance, a weakness to exploit.

" _You're despicable._ " Jane hissed as Nina loudly sniffed as the air.

Jack removed his hand from her face, tactlessly wiping his hand off on her bindings as if he was ridding himself of her cooties. More accurately, spit slobbered all over his fingerless glove. Or he just wanted to hear what petty bullshit Nina could bring to the table for his entertainment. Jane's insult hung heavy in the air, Natalie's nostrils flaring in distaste while she momentarily held onto her tongue. Caring just enough about the other woman to not blindly insult her on first instinct. Instead she let herself become a little more collected.

"(Y/n)." She called out to you in a desperate croak. You turned to her, only your head as you didn't want any unwanted gazes on your behind. Nina was unable to swivel her head but eyes open wide and fixated on you. With her eye finally healed, Nina was a lot more bearable to look at, not completely though. Red lipstick was still smeared across her lips and teeth, accentuated by a bow of the same shade messily tying up her hair. A dark muted brown accompanied by fake electric blue staring right into your soul. 

Before you could push out an answer, Nina veraciously barked, "You were with him, weren't you?"

The tension only grew thicker, another hot topic of much more mutual distaste that got everyone even more on edge. You felt the need to speak quietly, as if raising your voice would make all hell break loose. "How did you know?" 

"I'm despicable?" Natalie spat, starting the spat back up with clear immaturity. "Says the one who was all about being with (Y/n) when I wasn't around!"

"Because I can smell him on you." Nina rasped needily. You pressed your lips into a hard line, feeling disgust creep up on you. His stench hadn't lifted itself from your jacket just yet, smelling faintly of smoke and unwashed hair.

"Because we had something to do." Jane reasoned, "And I couldn't trust you to not ogle at her the entire time." 

"Come closer," Nina took a loud snorting intake of air, "I need a better hit of _him_." The way she was speaking made Jeff out to be a drug. Able to give her a sick rush of dopamine but without him she hit a lagging low point. In pain until she got another dose. No price to big and no deed too vile.

"Oh my fucking god!" Natalie shouted angrily, "I don't like her like that and you know it!"

"Do I?"

"Yes you fuckin' do, babe. God," She growled, "You're so over dramatic."

_"I'm over dramatic?!"_ Jane cruelly laughed, void of any actual joy.

"Yeah! You are! All you do is whine about murder this and that." It was then you fully realized the extent of the argument. Sure, there had to be some negative friction to start it over something so little in the first place but now it was shifting to the real core. Rotten and hollowed out, the biggest flaw in their relationship. "You're always so back and forth. One second I'm disgusting and you're all about not talking to me til I _'change for the better'._ The next you're jealous of a fucking captive because I look in her general direction. Make up your fucking mind!"

You held your breath, not as involved but still feeling extreme discomfort. Nina chattered on, "If you come closer _I'll owe you."_

There was nothing she could give you but more unease. Though you did consider it, after all you were both in the same boat. Wanting to escape to go back to your respective special person. 

"You _should_ change." Jane spat, digging her fingers into her arms as a more violent rage took hold. "And don't fucking simplify it. You know what I'm pissed the hell off and you're minimizing it." Every word grew colder and colder.

"A nickname. You're pissed off over a nickname. I'm _sooo sorry_ that I left that _oh so important_ _detail_ out." Natalie berated, matching Jane's growing hostility. 

"Are you not going to acknowledge the thing about changing for the millionth time _or?"_ The goth demanded. You had no idea what to do with yourself here; To stay still and not draw any possibility attention, to go to Nina under the promise of something you couldn't think of, to try and zone out until it was over.

Natalie threw her head back and groaned obnoxiously, "This again?!"

"(Y/n)," Nina hissed, heightening your stress, "Get over here." Her nose twitched as she stiffed out Jeff's scent, "Hurry up." 

"Yes," Jane made air quotes, " _'This again'._ You need to clean up your act."

"Hey," Jack calmly called for your attention, "If you want to wait this out, out there then you can." He pointed a meaty finger toward the open exit much to your relief. "Don't try to run. If you do, I'll know and I'm sure that you remember what we talked about." The man may have given you a permission to roam a few feet away, a mercy, but he wasn't a good person. Having took the chance to remind you of that powerless moment when you both knew that you weren't going to test him. Jack could come off as the nicest between the three but no matter how you sliced it, he was callous, uncaring, and wanted you to be afraid for egotistical reasons. 

You stiffly nodded, sharply spinning around on your heel and bounding out of that Claire's like a bat out of hell. Doing your best to tune out the barked out continuation of the lover's quarrel. 

Yet you were unable to deafen Nina's desperate call, "Wait! Wait, don't go!"

Nor could you properly unhear Jane's growled out, "Don't you fucking dare look at her walk away."

"Holy fuck! I'm not going to check out her ass!" 

You didn't look back for further approval from Jack, or to see if Nina and Jane's eyes were on you. You decided to not look back and instead to the side, down the corridor to where Liu had splayed himself across the floor. From here, he looked to be oddly at peace. One with the world, as chaotic and random as it may be, he seemed to fall into it's flow just fine.

It didn't take long to make your way over to him. Eyes screwed shut, spayed out like a starfish, relaxed into the floor despite how cold it must be. Brown hair had fallen loosely beside his head, morning light flooding in through the broken roof windows and making it look like a luminous caramel brown. Skin soft yet not without its blemishes, acne scars, a bent nose bridge with a jagged stripe running over it, and a glasgow grin. Chopped to pieces but still whole. Changed. Ethereally beautiful in the light and stillness.

The only flaw being the brown holster on his hip. Handle sharply glinting, reflecting a pointed beam back into your eyes. You recoiled slightly, shifting so your retinas could have a break. A quiet threat of violence he hadn't pulled on you yet. Hopefully he never would.

You didn't ask for permission to lay yourself a few inches away from him. Tile cold and uncomfortably pressing into the back of your head but you still sighed in relief anyway. Away from the fight, the shouting match decreasing in volume with the distance. Admittedly, you had no idea how he seemed to be enjoying himself so much. You crossed your legs to conserve some heat, crossing your arms over your chest, trying to stay warm. Laying in a tough spot with morally questionable company but unable to embrace the calm lull in action, in stressors. 

"Hello." His voice just barely graced your ear, like he was reaching out through the edges of his consciousness as he fell asleep. 

"Hi." You called back with more clarity. Finding yourself unable to sink into yourself like that.

Liu didn't talk for some time, letting silence ring between you two. It was nice to not be questioned, to have your brain picked at, to be afraid of saying the one thing that sets one of them off to finally snap your neck. 

You were only starting to grow used to the sharp coldness when he spoke up, "Sorry, but I can't ask how it went. I can't talk too much about _him_ right now or Sully may front for awhile." You didn't need to exactly ask why that was a problem. The last time he fronted he was throwing death threats left and right. If he was armed and not trapped in a blanket, you were sure that he would have popped a hole in back of Jane's skull. Maybe even yours. 

You found your breath hitching in your throat. Aware of how close you were to getting a pistol pressed to your temple and having your mind blown. Despite the fear, you forced yourself to weakly ask, "Should I go?"

"No," Liu answered with a tinge of desperation, green eyes cracking open to glance at you, "Please stay, my friend."

"Okay." You agreed, hoping that with your nostalgic presence you could bring him some comfort. "If I can ask, what happened?" You assumed something must have triggered the alter to want take the reins. Not just watch from the background but to fully control the body. Pushing Liu so hard that he had to remove himself from the welcome party, lay himself down and concentrate on keeping the little bastard back. 

There was an acceptance filled bitterness in his laugh, an inevitability that he fully accepted. "Lets just say that Sully gets prickly when it comes to your guy's outings."

"Sully wants to come?" The way Liu worded it, it almost sounded like Sully was a friend who was jealous about being left out of a group hangout. 

"He wants to protect our brother." Made sense, every encounter with Jeff ended with him getting his ass handed to him in the worst ways. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Of course." You were all too eager to change the subject now. Squirrely about the conversational topic that was Jeffery Woods. Still reeling from last nights encounter. "Uh, I can't think of anything." Though you felt the strong desire to talk about literally anything else, you felt like you'd exhausted every other idea on the planet. Every idea sounding like it sucked dick.

"Hmm," He thought a moment before throwing the most basic conversation starter ever at you, "How're you?"

Terrible was your first thought but that'd you both back to square one. You pushed yourself to be a little more detailed, "Not well, to be completely honest because apparently Nat's checked out my ass and Jane's really mad about it." The nickname naturally rolled off your tongue, yet it felt wrong to use. It being the thing that Jane first picked the fight over. No doubt that if she overheard you using the name she'd get pissy with you. But she wasn't close enough to hear, you could get away with just a little bit of diluted shit talk. 

He chuckled and you smiled, happy that the joking truth brought him some quality entertainment. "Ah, to be young and in love."

"You're only twenty-five, you're still young." You lightly reminded him, side eyeing the man lazily.

"True, true, but still, not in love at the moment and never really got the chance to be." Wistfully sighing, he melted further into the cold floor.

"Really?" Other than the whole 'being a murderer and delusional nutjob' thing, Liu was honestly a catch. Any guy would be lucky to have him, a pretty man with a decent head on his shoulders. Not to mention he lived in a car, which was a step up from living at his parent's place. Although he didn't really have parents to live with anymore.

"The tail end of my teenage years were spent living in the woods and in people's basements without their knowledge." He laughed, reminiscing dully on worse days, eyes pointed back at the sky, "And instead of meeting people at bars the past few years, I've been too busy searching for-" Stopping himself, Liu took a moment to shudder and sigh, "Well, I had to avoid the law quite a bit after I stole the van. Turns out people keep an eye out more for plate numbers than known criminals."

The both of you had a moment of failure to suppress your mutual snickering.

"Seriously?" It felt good to smile and talk on even grounds with somebody.

"Almost nobody ever recognized me when I went out," Liu's lighthearted tone sunk into one more somber, "Don't blame them. I wouldn't think that I would have survived that either."

You watched him tense and intake a sharp breath through clenched teeth. You rolled an arm away from your chest, brushing your bicep against him in a wordless act of comfort. It didn't magically put a stop to his stress but you hoped it helped. "If it's any consolation, I feel you, man."

"How?"

"Haven't exactly stolen any cars and what not but I'm in the same boat as you. Never got to fall in love either." You internally begged that he'd keep his Jeff obsessed tongue held. "I did try a few times. It's just that some people don't understand me or want to try to." Before you realized it, you were pouring your heart out. Venting like this was nice after not being able to for such a long time. "A lot of people are super uninformed about autism and it really sucks when they don't wanna try and see my side of things. Got told that I was weird for stimming by a date one time, it wasn't that big of a deal but it hurt, ya'know? I can be blunt with people sometimes and accidentally hurt people's feelings but no one ever wants to hear me try and explain myself. I just-" You sighed, catching up with yourself, "Just had a hard time with romance."

"I see." He chimed in, taking on a more eloquent manner of speech. "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things," Pausing for dramatic effect, he batted his eyes open and looked to you with wholesome adoration, eyes almost seeming to sparkle with clarity, "Love never ends."

You only knew one person who could rip out a meticulously memorized verse like that. "Ah, hey Ezekiel." You couldn't help but feel cared for and safe with him. Words sinking deep into your consciousness. Striking a cord that rung out the message that you'd keep in the back of your mind for when you were out of here. Out in the real world where you'd be able to apply it. Not getting down on yourself for being different and start a reinvigorated search for a partner who cared for you, warts and all. 

"Hello (Y/n)." You weren't exactly sure when he began to front but you were glad to see him too. He was a much better conversational partner than Sully. You hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk to the guy, but you really didn't want to chance anything. Ezekiel was pleasantly poetic in his own way, always providing comforting verses when he was around. Though that didn't discount the fact he assisted in your kidnapping and his tendency to over romanticize things, especially concerning Jeff, made you sick. 

"Thank you for that, by the way." You couldn't dish out as many helpful words at the moment but you'd do your best to make him feel welcome into the conversation. "It's good to see you."

"Nice to see you as well and think nothing of it, anything for a good friend." Ezekiel's words warm friendly and genuine, not the same tone that Jane's similar in phrase response to thanks was. With him around you found it much easier to relax into the hard floor and accept the ever present coldness. Being one with the universe or some shit like that with him was surprisingly easy with his calming presence. 

You felt safe with him even with Sully insidiously waiting for his chance in the spotlight. 

"(Y/n)." The two of you had let time tick on by in a relaxed hush, hearing your name you perked up a bit.

"Hm?"

You jerked back, recoiling as Ezekiel pulled the gun from it's holster.

"I'm not going to hurt you," He reassured, "I just want you to take this for now." He further brought the gun your way, pointing it away from the both of you. Breaking his comfortable pattern of mostly speaking with a feeling of airy grace, now he was serious and in need.

Shocked, you looked to the door of the Claire's to check for any of the trio who'd definitely put a stop to the exchange. "Why?" The gun was a game changer, power, control, a hunk of metal that'd get them to do what you wanted. Let you escape.

"Because I don't want Sully to have it if he is able to front." He explained, lowering the cold gun to the open palm that had been laid beside him.

Still, it confused you. He must have known how dangerous and frankly quite stupid this idea of his was. "But-"

"I trust you."

"Thank you." You spoke in a hushed tone, dragging your arm up and carefully stuffing the pistol into your bomber pocket. 

Your acceptance wasn't completely self serving though. The fear that came with having that would _definitely_ count as contraband with the others in your pocket was worth it to put Ezekiel and Liu at some ease. Scared of consequence and failure, yet satisfied with how you helped your part time guardian angel. You watched him further unwind into the hard floor, at peace with his decision.

It took a few seconds for reality to fully sink in. Thinking astutely to yourself, ' _holy fucking shit, I have a gun!'_ The hard weight in your pocket was a key to freedom. One that you were hesitant to use. You couldn't just make a run for it, waving the thing about and hoping for the best. You had a horrible gut feeling that Jack wouldn't be phased if you shot him, if you even had the balls. The thought of him angry sent a chill down your spine. As for Jane and Natalie, you could also guess they'd be more than pissed. 

Honestly, part of you didn't want to betray his trust but the more rational part of your mind screamed how you needed to get the hell out of this place. You didn't know what you'd do or say, if you even had the courage to partake in such a tense confrontation. For now though, you'd lay and wait, stewing in your own hesitant yet bitterly accepting thoughts.

**\----**

_"What if it means that he wants to break up with me!?" Noah cried, eyes fixated on the text from James._

_'Kay'_

_There he went again, overthinking things. Understanding that he had terrible connotations with break ups but also getting that he was afraid of losing his rock._

_"I'm sure he doesn't," You reassured him with a hand clasping his shoulder, "He gets it." Noah had to cancel a date they'd scheduled last week at a faux Italian place. Though James response was a bit callous and short it didn't automatically spell out doom for their long relationship. They'd been through a lot more than that._

_"But he sounds so mad at me!"_

_"Noah, you can't tell someone's tone through a phone." Reminding him, brain meandering back to that day. Jeff's text coming off as happy at the time, but once you had all the horrible context it came off as dreadfully dreary._

_"But-"_

_"Seriously," You grew short with him, needing to be stern so the message would be nailed into his skull, "I'm sure he understands. He might be disappointed n' all but I'm sure he understands that there's plenty of other times to go out." Thoughts having drifted to the dead boy, they didn't like to wander off. Mentally holding you down on the topic, thinking back to whenever you had to cancel sleepovers because you were grounded or having to shut yourself in to study for a test. The little shit would always come running over, climb into your window and force the sleepover. Even though it was a huge risk and distraction, you always enjoyed it._

_You couldn't ever forget how much of a clingy kid he was. Hell, he even figured out all the little nooks and crannies at school that you hid yourself away in to get away from prying eyes. He always managed to find you given enough time. Usually resorting to asking others if they'd seen you, locating you through word of mouth. Able to find you where ever, you knew back then no matter where you'd go there'd always be Jeff playing catch up to come and help._

_Shaking you head, you pushed the thoughts away the best you could._

_Intent on listening to Noah, who asked you wearily, "Are you sure?" Noah knew the guy way better that you'd ever would, the poor man just needed a validating push in the right direction._

" _Absolutely." Even adding a nod for emphasis. "Honestly dude, talk to him about it! I'm sure that'll help."_

_Noah sighed, "Yeah, suppose you're right." He picked up the phone, bringing up his keyboard before he spoke once more, "Thanks for listening to me babble like a big dumb baby."_

_"You're not dumb for needing to talk about stuff that stresses you out." You sharply insisted, god be damned if you didn't constantly try to keep his bad self esteem back._

_"Still," He chuckled, slowly formulating a message to James, "I'm a baby."_

_You snorted and lightly joked, "You're my baby." Leaning some of your weight onto him and being there if he needed some more advice. There for him like he was there for you. Always and forever._


	24. 23 - Out With A Bang

The moment was hard to completely process. The weight real, opportunity resting heavy and cold in your sweaty palm. Their argument only further stressed you out, adding an emotionally exhausting layer to the whole messed up cake. It only continued to get louder, each sentiment growing more and more clear from where you and Ezekiel lay. You looked away from the resting man to the Claire's.

"Spare me the bullshit! You act like you're so high and mighty but look in the fucking mirror, Jane!" Loudly disrupting your already tangled knots of thoughts was Natalie, voice raising after only a few minutes of quieter arguing. Digging metaphorical claws into her partner, deeper and deeper, "You are _exactly_ like me!"

There was a tense pause. You let out a rattling sigh and shut your eyes, trying to block out the incoming shit storm, Ezekiel seemed to be doing it just fine.

"Me?" Jane humorlessly cracked, "Like _you?"_ Unfortunately, you had no such luck. "I don't _murder innocent people_ _for fun, Natalie._ "

"You know that I-" She stopped, finding explaining what Jane already knew to be fruitless. You got that, Jane seemed like the type to be terrible to argue with, a brick wall. "You might as well be."

Jane scoffed, "The fuck does that mean?!"

"You let people die," Natalie poisonously pointed out, "You used to be all about saving everybody, seeing the good in people. What of that now, _huh?"_

"I saw the good in you." Her admission was so quiet yet so intense that the floor felt colder, goosebumps started running up your arms. 

"Don't fucking give me that when you pick and choose when to act grossed out by me!" Natalie snapped in a nasty cackle.

Jane gasped, clearly offended, "Only because sometimes you act like a crazy person!"

_"I am a crazy person!_ We've been over this!" Your lips pressed into a line listening to the intense drama, feeling second hand agitation. "And don't drop the whole, ya'know, you letting people fucking die, thing! Or are you just going to sweep that shit under the rug?"

"That was a lesson I had to learn." Jane sharply snapped, "But some people just have to die, it'll be worth it when that shit eating prick is dead."

"Hey!" Nina cried, "You take that back!"

The two ignored her, far too engrossed in their own drama. "So, the lives I take aren't a part of that group of people you're fine with dying? That's real fuckin' fickle."

"I wish you'd stop all this senseless violence because you need to feel better about-" Jane stopped her raving, about to cross a line you didn't understand the context of. She found a detour rather quickly, "Because you want to feel powerful."

"I _am_ powerful." Natalie gruffly insisted, you wouldn't disagree on that one.

"Then why do you need to keep it up?!" Jane demanded as you ran your fingers up and down the side of the pistol. Just making sure that it was real, trying to ground yourself with something other than the hard floor. 

"Because I-" She began to argue, tripping over a few syllables. Was she lying to herself and Jane, continuing her quest for horrible self fulfillment under the guise of being whole? Or was she all together, just continuing something she enjoyed and was good at? You doubted she was all together, Nat acted like she needed a fat dose of Ritalin and years of therapy, maybe some anti-psychotics on top of that. "Why are you with me if you think I suck so much?" Obvious deflection.

Jane was quiet a moment, you could hear Nina commentating, "Ooh shit."

She kicked the conversation back up, "I like you-"

"Then what's your fucking deal!?" Natalie interrupted.

"Let me finish." Jane tartly replied, "-But, I understand you to an extent and _I feel bad for you."_

You could only imagine Natalie curling her lips into a snarl of disgust. You may have not known her too well but she seemed like the type not to take too kindly to things such as, "Pity? You fucking pity me? That's why you're with me?"

"I don-" You heard Jane consider taking the mature road a moment before she veered away from it at the speed of light, "Yeah, you know what? I do."

"Are you fucking serious!? I'm not weak! I'm not some sniveling fucking crybaby!" Natalie's words grew more and more ragged, it sounded like she was going to start crying any second now, if she wasn't already. Things just seemed to get worse for them. Two grown ass adults who had their heads so far up their own asses that they started shouting out things they don't mean. The recovery from an argument like this would be hours of reasonable talking and apologies, but did those two even have the capacity to be mature? 

"Don't even!" Natalie screeched at the woman who hadn't uttered a single syllable yet. "Just say that you want a good fuck and you're too full of yourself to completely fuckin like- like- admit that you're a shitty person!"

"Really?" Jane scoffed _, "I'm_ a shitty person?" 

Yes, you thought, yes she is.

"You really are, babe." Nina sneered in the beat of tense silence. 

"Shut the hell up!" Jane barked at the girl who was clearly trying to get under her skin and succeeding. 

Digging further into her, Natalie lowly accused, "If I'm pitiful and horrible then so are you."

She made an astounding amount of sense for once. It was kinda horrible of you to listen in so intently to the point of straining your ears, but at this point you were just internally stalling to get to work. Partially hoping that something they said or did kicked a good opportunity into action. 

"I- You can't talk to me like that." Jane hissed, stomping her foot. Which was true, this had devolved into something more and more petty. Sure, there were clear problems that they had to figure out but the 'we both suck so we're made for each other' approach wasn't the healthiest. You didn't like either part of the couple, but you didn't really want to hear about another case of Jeff and Nina. It wasn't any of your business but you thought they should either make up and quit being childish or break up.

Natalie humorlessly cackled, wheezing out a angry words though gritted teeth, _"J'en ai plus rien à foutre._ Eye for an eye or however the fuck you say that; You treat me like I'm beneath you, I'll do it right back."

_"Ugh!"_ Sharp clicks of heels on tile played through the air, she had to have started to storm out of the Claire's.

She kept up her rude and resentful laughter, "Done with me already?"

"I can't talk to you when you're like this." At least Jane had enough brains to understand to cut it off at some point to later to return to with hopefully cleared heads and new perspectives. Also the implication that she was a hypocrite and probably knew it, had her stomping off in the direction opposite of you and Liu. The sound of her footsteps growing quieter by the second. 

That was probably more of a weighty argument than you could understand as an outsider. You shouldn't have dwelled on it, piecing their personal business together in your head, but you couldn't help it. Desperately clinging to something a little less stress inducing than the one shot of freedom in your pocket.

You mulled over what Jane's dead family would think. Would they really want their daughter to become a trail blazing rage machine over a hollowed out victim? Well, you could only guess she was okay before all of this or at least an angry person with a few felonies here and there. She clearly loved and cared about her deceased relatives in order to go so far that she'd let other human beings die over the one person who put an end to her loved ones. The descent from a hero, rotting into something less righteous and more despicable. It's sad.

Nina idly chattered about the drama passed, at first Natalie snapped back and threatened the woman but in the end she too stormed out of the Claire's. You listened to her stomping off in the same general direction as Jane had. Making up already or going to a spot in the area. Loudly sniffling and whimpering as she went, you never took her for a crier but lo and behold, you learn something new everyday.

"Ay, pobrecita." Nina snickered. Clearly judging and getting a kick out of their rocky patch, like she had any room to do so when she was in an obviously toxic relationship with Jeff. 

"Okay bye, I guess." Jack pettily called out to the woman, left alone with the captive again.

The fireworks were over, you sunk back into your own stewing thoughts. This was good, two of them were out of the way but Jack was still around. You also had no idea as to where you were. The few times you'd traveled to the car in the parking lot attached to the bottom floor, you'd seen generic tall trees and a rocky road. They always turned right, down a road that was forcing itself into familiarity. No direction, no car, no guarantee that if you run out the nearby front doors that Jack wouldn't immediately snatch you up and bring you down to the abandoned deli's back room. Cut you open without any aesthetic and be forced to watch him rearrange your insides.

You were desperate for freedom but were having a hard time trying to muster the courage to do something bold. Running and hiding had only led you right back into their hateful arms. Doubt and fear kept you in place, laying down and overly aware of the gun clutched in your shaky hand. 

Eyelids were snapped open when the floor began to rattle beneath you, you leaned your head back and were mortified to find Jack rounding out of the Claire's and bounding toward you. The back of your skull bounced on the tile, it got worse and worse as he came closer. Your heart starting to pound in your chest, your fingers clutching the hidden pistol tightly. To you it was out of sight, but what if the vibrations that ripped through you allowed him to see it? Or did your hand and the fabric hide the mass from him? 

Breath caught in your throat, frozen on the floor and no longer relaxed. Ezekiel made no moves to acknowledge Jack's obvious presence in the slightest, he must have been asleep at this point. You reached your limit when his platform boots were planted right above the top of your head, muscles jerking but you ultimately didn't go anywhere. What if you moving let him see it somehow? 

You sucked your lips into your mouth anxiously, eyeing the man who just stood there. The edges of his trench coat swaying slowly to and fro. He bent himself a degree forward, tilting his head down to make faux eye contact with you. There was genuinely no reason for him to do so but he did it all the same for some reason or another. All you could think about was those obnoxiously tall boots and how you didn't want your head stomped under them and how tall he looked from your perspective on the floor. 

"I'm going to get something to eat." He bluntly informed you, much to your confusion, "Get up and watch her."

You blinked, "Huh?"

"He's busy, I'm going to go, so you're going to watch her." Jack spelled it out for you, showing some understanding for Ezekiel's plight and entrusting you with Nina. All that time ago, he left you unguarded and you ran away but now he was leaving you, untied, and on top of that, piling on a pretty big responsibility. 

Jack didn't come off as dim witted. He probably considered you as some sort of groupie at this point, part of the gang. Him and Natalie treating you a little less rigidly simply because you'd shown some promise in being able to hurt others. Jane had yet to weirdly come around, but you couldn't tell if you liked it better that way or not. 

"Uhm," You were starting to see an opportunity but you were still hesitant to fully grasp it, "Okay."

Jack didn't immediately take his leave. He stood there quietly for some time, boredly staring you down as thick beads of black stretched forth from his empty sockets. Gravity pulling them down, strings of goo thinning the further the droplets traveled. Three long bands snapped, freeing three thick globs of black falling toward your face. You screwed your eyes shut and prepared for impact with a close lipped cringe.

They splatted onto your (s/c) flesh all at once. Hot, burning painfully only for an instant before cooling down to a more pleasant temperature, akin to what it feels like to put your fingers in candle wax. There was no explosion of liquid even with the few feet that they'd fallen, the droplets were too thick too splatter like that. They simply sat upon your face. One on either cheek and the third on your forehead. While you and Jack continued to look at each other for a tensely long period, the warm substance began to crawl towards the downward paths of least resistance. You got a taste of what it felt like to have the unknown body fluid rolling down your skin. It was comfortably warm but heavy, slowly clambering down either side of your head while the one on your forehead slid back into your (h/l) locks. Ritualistic in nature, an unspoken exchange of responsibility that was quite frankly, really weird and unneeded. 

"Try anything and you'll regret it."He lowly warned, expression not cracking a single bit to tip you off to anything he was feeling. One second the mesmerisingly terrifying dude just standing there, the next an even-toned monster that was held back only by sheer will. 

If he knew about the gun he didn't tip you off about it. In the scenario where he knew, he clearly didn't think you had the balls to do anything to save yourself. Making the choice for you that you wouldn't be going anywhere because he thought no one was on your side and fear would keep you restrained tighter than any rope ever could. At the moment they were, but how much longer could they hold?

Jack didn't have anything else to say, so he just turned tail and left. Heading the exact same way as the others, no doubt to the deli. He just might lug an entire corpse up to the food court in a mockery of humanity and it's eating rituals. Showing how confident he truly was in you being subdued. That made you angry, but you still peeled yourself from the floor and meandered toward the Claire's. You stood yourself in the doorway, ridged and trying to build up the will to bolt out the front doors.

Your train of thought wasn't so simple when you glanced at the woman across the shadowy store. Alone with Nina hiding a loaded gun. Horrible ideas filling your head to be waved away. You weren't at her level. Not like shooting her would do anything.

"Hey homewrecker." Nina playfully cooed from her restraints. "Come'ere a sec, I wanna talk to you." You had better things to do than think about and look at her, like the soles of your shoes. "What?" She snorted, "You afraid of lil ole me? I can't do anythin' to ya." 

That was true but you still didn't go closer to her, only moving your head so you could look in her general direction.

"That's more like it, but I know you can do better than that, come here." She strained her neck with a groan, stretching it further than was healthy. Even in the dimness of the room, you caught her sending you a cheeky wink, "I'll make it worth your while."

"Uhm-"

She huffed and suddenly dropped the ditzy act, sternly staring you down, "Look (Y/n), you're going to want to hear what I have to offer."

You found yourself drawn toward her, looking for someone to give you some validation, purpose, further incentive, something to set a spark. Stopping yourself a few feet away from her, you continued to run a finger over the guns side, intrusive thoughts plaguing you as you looked down at her. Sniffing at the air, shuddering and smiling dopily, practically purring as she took in his scent like some sort of insane bloodhound.

Your skin crawled what she mumbled, _"Fuck yeah."_ It was just body odor, nothing to get so excited about but you weren't her, at all able to tell what was going on her head. Honestly, so far it felt like she just manipulated you into doing something for her, something that frankly felt pretty gross. 

Despite the power in your hand you didn't feel too on top of the world. Hearing out what she could do for you instead of pointing the barrel to her temple and demanding her for whatever it was.

"Alright, I'm not going to repeat myself," She switched right back onto her hard and serious persona, commanding your attention, "Golden opportunity just fell into _our_ lap. Honestly, had a plan earlier, was gonna try n' get you to try and stab that tall shithead but ya'know. He would have wiped the floor with you in under two seconds. Also, you seem like the type to not be very stabby unless ya gotta be." She read you like a book, you were a normal person, obviously.

"Don't call me weak." You hushedly snapped, irritated from this morning's grating conversation with Jane.

"I didn't call you that. You're the one who arrived to that conclusion on your own because deep down, you think that you're weak." Nina scrutinized, silver tongue seeking out and snipping at your internal doubt. You clenched your jaw as she continued, "We have a mutual interest. We both want to leave, we need each other to do that." Her voice grew quieter as she went on, you had to step closer and lean in to hear her. Hanging on every word. "I know you're thinking it too."

You felt like a kid caught with crumbs around the corners of their lips, clearly having eaten out of the cookie jar. And like a kid, you lied and grew defensive out of fear of repercussion, "I'm not."

"Don't lie to me like you lie to yourself." You found her eyes enchanting, you couldn't look away from the mismatches irises, hypnotized, "I've got a plan, all your pretty little head's gotta do is not hold you back. Oh and get my knife, set me free, and I'll pay you back by protecting you from those assholes. If they catch you on the run, they'll _rip to shreds."_ You remembered Jack's extensive list of threats, the still healing slashes on your back from Natalie, and knowledge that Jane could stomp a head in without a second thought. 

She wormed her way further and further into your brain, a parasite. 

Nina stopped a moment, seeming to let the words sink in with a purpose. Holding such intense eye contact that made your skin itch and throat start to constrict. The side affects of looking at such a pretty poison. You snapped your head over your shoulder, nervously looking for Ezekiel. The interaction felt oddly taboo, wrong, but there was a creeping sense that this is where you should be, with her.

"You're not as weak _minded_ as you seem to think you are, (Y/n). Let's get the fuck out of here, together." She didn't stop her constant barrage of things you wanted to hear. 

Renewed vigor had you turning back to her, "Where's your knife?"

The bottom of her makeup caked eyelids crinkled upward with her grin. She rolled her eyes back, "Untie my bow."

Closer than before, you one-handedly grabbed at the loose edge of her bright red bow. Gingerly untying it, fingers coming across something hard that further revealed itself as you tugged it out of her hair. It wasn't the longest or most intimidating knife in the world, actually it was only three or so inches long and not very wide, a compact little thing hidden under red wraps. Another weapon on your person, arsenal growing at an alarming rate.

"These ropes aren't gonna cut themselves." Nina tugged your attention back to her with a slight sneer of impatience. There was no time to be worried anymore. You just had to jump into action, fueled by the fact that she said you weren't weak. She also knew what do to, having to be way more experienced at this stuff than you were. Just follow her lead and this time you'd get away for good, everything would be fine. 

"Right." You mumbled, eyes darting from place to place, trying to decide on where in the spiderweb of moldy rope you should start off with. You chose to mess with the root of the problem, kneeling down to see a bundle of intricate knots below the chair. They weren't the target however, the taut length that led into them were, cut them off and she'd be free.

You put yourself to work, sawing jankily with the knife's serrated edge. It was sharp, _really sharp._ You could just imagine her obsessively grinding the edge of the blade on something at an angle to get it to the finest point that she could. You wondered if she had anything else hidden on her, pondering with the idea of a hidden retractable knife under the layers upon layers of bracelets that she wore.

"Gimme the lowdown while you're down there, ah?" Nina requested while you jerked your arm harshly back and forth.

"On what?" You felt yourself mentally lean on her for guidance. It was nice to have someone looking out for a mutual interest you could actually get behind. 

"To start: Where are the exits?" Right, she was conked out both times that she was brought in.

"There's one around the corner," That one you didn't know where it led, "And one downstairs." And the other was in the direction of doom and danger. You began to realize something aloud, "But I don't know how far we'll even get if we do get outside. They're fast," You hissed in mild agony, back throbbing with a particularly harsh jerk of your arm, "And they'll probably split up to find us too. I don't think we'd be able to get away from them without," Your lips faulted into a frown, the metal heavy at your side, "Liu's car." 

"Oooh," She cooed, rope after rope coming undone, "Where is he anyway?"

_Don't tell her, fucking backstabber._

_"_ Out in the hall." _That's enough, stop talking._ "Ezekiel was having a tough time keeping Sully from fronting but I think he's asleep now." _Shut up._

You paused, biting your tongue, teeth painfully digging into your own flesh. You both could just run and hope for the best. Nina was smart, experienced, she could protect you. If one found you, they could just call the others. As good as Nina was, she didn't have a good winning record against Jack. You needed that car if you wanted a hope in hell to actually get out of here. 

You totally had a bad case of Stockholm syndrome with Liu, didn't you? You'd get back at him, take back your fucking life. You owed him _nothing._ Despite knowing that, it didn't make accepting the fact that you'd be breaking his trust any easier, the words coming out of your mouth almost completely flat.

"We could steal his keys." 

"That's so," She trailed off to find the right word, "Snakey. _I love it."_ Nina had been speaking many truths the past few minutes but that one seemed to shine the brightest and dig into your the deepest. 

She began to wiggle her arms with the loosened bindings, progress. You kept on going, making the choice to, you wanted this. Your chest hurt so bad, like you'd been kicked in your butterfly infested stomach. 

"But," She hummed, "We don't know if he's even got them keys on him." That was true.

"We should still check."

"Look at you being all thorough 'n shit." Nina started to peel her torso up, checking you out with a spark of approval in her bicolored eyes, "I gotta admit, you're gonna have to do it. Honestly, you seem like you're terrible at stealing shit but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, because I know myself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" You grumbled, checking over your shoulder for the man in question.

"If I get too close to him I totes won't be able to control myself and I'll cut his stupid little head off." You nearly stopped, staring at her as you remembered just who exactly you were freeing. What kind of danger you were subjecting yourself to. Yet you kept on, desperate and hanging onto earlier promises of hers that she wouldn't kill you. "Jeff would be soooooo mad at me for that. You gotta do it."

"What if he wakes up?" Worrying aloud, eyebrows scrunching close together, "He'll know what I'm doing, he'll see you, he'll stop me if I'm going through his pockets, he'll- _Wait a second."_

Nina writhed and shimmed as your brain caught up to your motor mouth. How could you have forgotten?

"Well? Don't keep me waiting babe." She teased you back to reality, quirking up a brow and tilting her head, freed hair falling to the side with the movement.

_"I have a gun."_

Her eyes bulged from their sockets in shock, loudly yapping, _"YOU HAVE A GUN!?"_

_"Ssh!"_ Her sudden spike in volume had you checking the doorway again. Anticipation of one of them walking in and busting you keeping you on a breathless edge.

"Right," She whispered as if that'd fix her previous mistake, "My bad. But seriously," It was her turn to lean toward you, hang off your words, "Do you really?"

"Yeah." Unable to look at her, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal, like the ropes were very interesting. "Ezekiel gave it to me." You confessed, as if that'd make the sin any less damning.

A traitor like _Judas._

_"_ Can I see it?" She eagerly requested with a smile way to wide, you didn't like the new look in her eyes.

"He gave it me, I should use it." Also, you could trust yourself not to be so volatile and put a bullet between his eyes.

"Booo." Nina whined, freeing her arms and starting to inch out of the bindings. Plastic bracelets loudly shifting with her jerky movements. "You're no fun."

"Sorry that I don't trust somebody like you." You snipped, lifting yourself from the floor, a weapon in either hand but not quite in power. She was calling most of the shots.

"Yeah," Giggling, she swung one leg after the other off the chair, "That's fair." Ditzy act quickly melting away to one much harder and goal oriented, "You know where the car is?"

"Yeah," You took a step back as she stood, stretching herself out with a satisfied groan, "But getting to it's pretty dangerous."

"Why's that?" Sickening pops emitted from her spine as she arched her back.

"It's right outside the bottom floor exit but to get there we might pass them." Maybe you should go out the front, you thought, you didn't know what was outside but finding the parking lot couldn't be too hard, could it? 

Before you could voice your concern, she chirped, "Ooh fun! I _love_ a good chase."

"I- No, we don't want that." Baffled, you tried to reason with the maniac, "They'll catch us if they see us, I'm sure of it. It's best to-"

Nina skipped on over to close the distance between you both, towering over you with a smirk, scarred over grin stretching. She put a stop to your objectification with a finger pressed to your lips, other hand plucking the knife from your grasp. "Nope!" 

"But-"

"Safety's for losers. 'N plus, I've got a crazy thirst for blood right now and they kinda like, kidnapped me so I'm mad about it." Understandable but not too reasonable. 

You had an ace in the hole argument that was sure to stop the idea in it's tracks. "If we get caught, you'll still be kidnapped. Don't you wanna be careful so like, we don't fail and you can see Jeff?"

Nina scoffed at the audacity, "Do you really think that Jeff would take me back if I didn't fuck them up at least a teeny bit?"

You didn't know if you would put it past him to be that shallow and petty. "I-"

"The answer's no. He'd think that I was some sorta," Her eyes bore hatefully into you, _"Weakling coward._ We're not taking the easy way out. If anyone gets in my way, I'll make them regret it." Nina was an unpredictable person, hard to read, but you could gather that her word was final. There was only the hard way out for you or no way out at all. 

"Okay." You were trusting her to keep up an unspoken truce out of her need to please Jeff.

"Well then, let's blow this Popsicle stand!" She roughly patted your shoulder in mock camaraderie. You weren't exactly feeling the love, but you still followed the wordless commando to turn toward the door and start walking. 

He was still laying peaceful and quiet on the ground. If you didn't see the subtle rise and fall of his chest or the flush of his cheeks then you would have thought him to be dead. Nina hung a few feet back, leaving you to do your own dirty work. It felt shittily fitting to betray his trust with your own hands, steal his gun and his car.

Aiming to keep the encounter as quick and without confrontation as possible, you made sure to creep up to him quietly. Eyes locked upon his jacket's front two pockets. You held your breath as you reached your hand out for the right pocket, purposefully keeping the pistol shoved into your bomber. You couldn't get the thoughts out of your head, implanted by Nina and natured by resentment. You wouldn't shoot him and you had a feeling he wouldn't get up the next day like she could if you did.

Just as your fingertips began to sink into the depths of his pocket, Ezekiel fluttered his eyes open. Friendly spark still lit but there was an extra layer of confusion when the sound of shuffling beads caught both of your attention. Nina was swaying side to side, pulling and plucking at the cheap bracelets with a devious smile. It didn't take very long for him to put two and two together.

"(Y/n)," Ezekiel asked carefully, "What is she doing out?" You didn't know what to say for yourself. His eyes followed the trail of (f/c) that lead to your frozen hand. "What are you doing?"

"She's leaving your crusty-ass." Nina snarked to the man who showered and took care of himself far more than her boyfriend. 

The troubled look that crossed his face further hammered the nail in the coffin that it was official; You' were a filthy backstabber and you had to watch the emotional wreckage in real time. 

"That's not true, is it (Y/n)?" Ezekiel was doubting the obvious and holding out hope that you weren't about to do what you were clearly doing.

"I'm sorry." Was all the confirmation you could give, a soft admission that you knew hit him like a brick. 

Ezekiel took in a shaky breath, fingers flexing and body shuddering. "Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor." Recitation held him together, helped pull him up from the floor to be on a more even eye level with you.. 

"Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." Calmly preaching, trying to make you see some reason. 

You were always worthy of love, forgiveness, companionship, and all that other good stuff. The quote made your skin irritatingly itch, how could you have forgotten who he was? A cold blooded killer who didn't even seem sorry about all his misdeeds, placing another even worse murderer on a pedestal that he wanted you to live and rot with. 

Did he truly not believe that you deserved basic kindnesses without being useful to him?

You reeled a ways back from him, stowing your hesitation and hardly requesting, "Give me your keys."

His eyes flicked from yours to Nina's, sensing that she had an obvious hand in all of this. Ezekiel spoke with an underlying fever to his voice, "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." 

"Shit, you're startin' to sound a little bonkers dude." Nina blatantly undermined the clear dig at her character.

You didn't change your tune, "Give me the keys."

Ezekiel only glared at her a moment before deciding to attempt to take matters into his own hands. Lunging forth, he snatched your hand and held it tight. You couldn't tell if he was trying to convince you with familiar and inherently safer touch or if he was going to try to restrain you so you couldn't run away.

It was a reaction out of panic, whipping the pistol from your pocket and pointing it loosely in his direction. Heart beating viciously in your chest, arm shaking. You weren't even sure if the safety was on or off but in the moment, all that really mattered was the principal. You were desperate enough, resentful enough, scared enough, to pull his own gun at him.

Eyes laden with shock, having grown watery while his brows knitted themselves together, his mouth falling open. Time paused when his face completely fell, you got a real good look.

_Is this what you wanted? Are you happy?_

He was so nice to you as a kidnapper, a protector, a companion who didn't want to hurt you. Guilt tripping thoughts wouldn't go away. Reasoning and rationality trying to battle them in the back of your mind but for the most part you were way too focused on the action of the moment, not the ethics. 

Time resumed when you said so, " _Let go of me and give me the keys."_ It was your turn to call the shots, even if it was for just a second, you took your fate into your own hands.

"Oh fuck!" Nina loudly exclaimed, "Get his skinny ass!"

Ezekiel's grip loosened but his hand lingered in yours a moment. You could feel the rough scar tissue on his palm, you could see his emotional torment. He stiffly reached into his left pocket and pulled out his keys, sliding one hand away in order to press the cold metal into your palm.

A bitterly sorrowful tremor laced his message, "Evildoers foster rebellion against God; the messenger of death will be sent against them."

Something bothered you about the whole exchange. It was too quick. Too easy. There was hardly an argument on if you should stay or go. Ezekiel definitely could have wrestled the gun from your grip without a problem. You knew you didn't have the moxie to pull the trigger even in such a state of distress. He had to have known that too. 

"I'm not evil." You proclaimed, standing up straight. You'd yet to lower the gun, looking down your shaking arm at him, on the floor defeated. "I just can't be here anymore and to be honest with you," You forced yourself to keep up the eye contact as if that'd make the truth any more obvious, "I don't think we're ever going to see each other again." Up and down your lips twitched while you tried to keep snot from flowing. "This is goodbye."

The scuffing sound of sneakers on tile behind you did nothing to pull your attention away from him. Staring despite not having the time for a quietly heavy moment. For that fifteen year old boy you saw staring up at you with a look of fear, you lowered the gun. The pistol was ripped from your loose grip. As you realized was what happening, you heard a soft _click_ followed by something much harsher.

_**B A N G !**_

You recoiled away from the cracking sound and flash of white. Confusedly yelling, "What?!" 

When the flash cleared, Nina was beside you grinning, arm rigidly stretched out, a smoking gun. 

_"Oh my god!"_ Worriedly yelling when you looked at the man before you. No longer did you care to keep your voice low because _somebody_ decided to shoot a gun and draw attention to you both. A little panicked screaming wouldn't hurt.

He was laying on his back. Eyes screwed shut and lips in a pained grimace. His hands had both slapped themselves onto the very top of his left shoulder. Covering up a wound you couldn't see, blood already starting to seep between his delicate fingers. 

"Why did you do that?!" You screeched at cackling woman.

She wheezed gleefully as she spoke, "Sorry, sorry, it's just the look on his face- He looked so sad how could I not shoot him?"

"By not shooting him!" Crying out as you suddenly found yourself defenseless next to a violence loving manic 

"I didn't hit him anywhere vital, trust me." She brushed you off, bunching up most of her hair and one-handedly tying it back into a ponytail. 

"But what about what you said earl-"

She inserted the blade hastily into the ribbon as she yapped, "Do you really think my impulse control is that good?"

Wide eyed and mortified, you gave her a tight lipped look.

Nina rolled her eyes, "Chillax, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just needed a lil bloodshed to tide me over for a sec." That wasn't reassuring at all. Did you choose correctly? Maybe if you tried alone he'd be fine but maybe he wasn't asleep and he would have stopped you. She really was your only shot. Despite that, you were still reasonably uneasy and it showed. "Jeff won't be that mad about me hurting him just _a bit._ He's a pain in the tit anyway."

You should probably start running but basic human decency had you asking, "Ezekiel, are you okay?"

"Of course he's fine, told you- Non-vital."

Miraculously enough, the man was able to get up, peeling himself off of the floor and meeting your eye. He didn't look like a kicked puppy anymore, he looked mad, really, _really_ mad. He slid his hands away from his shoulders in order to push himself up to stand. Red stained his green jacket, a deep indent in his flesh, bleeding profusely. "It's Sully."

_Uh-oh_ was your first thought but your second was that he was unarmed. Foolishly thinking that he wouldn't even try anything. 

"And I am fan-fucking-tastic!" Sully spat through a snarl.

"Really?" Please say yes.

"No dumbass! I'm bleeding!" While he snapped at you Nina took hold of your hand, "And you should be too."

Everything happened so fast. Your feet off the ground, positioning being adjusted against your will, suddenly finding yourself in motion. The guttural growl from Sully that sent a chill down your spine as you processed what was going on. "Get your asses back here so I can rip you open with my _bare fucking hands_!"

"No way, loser! This cutie and I are getting our fine asses outta here." Nina retorted sweetly. One armed, she supported your back and the undersides of your thighs. Having you lean against her chest whilst she bridal carried you like you were nothing but a body pillow, gun swinging loosely in her free hand. 

"Just wait until I fucking get my hands on you, you brother snatching whore!" Sully barked, giving Nina a good laugh.

She ignored him for a second, looking down to your shocked self, "Am I going the right way?"

"Yeah, uhm-" You were having a rough time getting it together but you decided to act like this was more okay than it actually was. Fake it till you make it. "You're gonna wanna go straight for awhile then there's this Toys-R-Us. on the uh- The right I think? I'll tell you the rest when we get there." Nothing was stopping her from stealing the keys from you and dropping you right now. She was in complete control so you took what information you had and coveted it as much as you safely could.

"Sweet." Nina nodded, shooting a shit eating grin over her shoulder at the man who was giving chase. "You're still mad that Jeff likes me more now, ain't 'cha?" 

"I'm going to fucking kill you both!" He barked, right behind you both.

The threat didn't phase her at all. "Love you too, babe!" You on the other hand were shaken up; hearing the rage fueled voice that had once been so warm and accepting being filled with rancor was jarring. 

One thing that really didn't make sense was itching away at you. "Why are carrying me?"

"You're too slow. They'd catch you if I wasn't so hot and cool and generous enough to pick up the slack." Rude. "But also," She sent an uncharacteristically warm smile toward you, a glazed over look in her eye, "I want you whole and I want to get you out of here."

"For what it's worth," You forced yourself to not look over her shoulder at how close Sully was, "When this is done and over with I plan on never seeing Jeff again." Nina was doing you a massive solid, even though it was likely out a selfish desire to put their Jeff killing plot on pause. You just wanted to further hammer in the fact that you were with her, appearing as if you wanted the best for their garbage pile of a relationship.

"You better or I'll straight up set you on fire." She chirped. 

"Got it." Sucking your lips into your mouth at the threat, you kept an eye out for the Toys-R-Us to point her toward in case she missed it. What you did spot was the hunched over form of Jane on a rusty bench. Mask pushed up into her hair, head in her hands, elbows resting on her thighs, looking defeated. It wasn't until the pair of you were just about to pass her that she looked up. You only caught a blur of her bare face, wide blotches of color, pink and a warm tan.

"Hey!" Jane shouted, snapping upright and quickly pulling her mask back over her face. Like a record player, she repeated herself, "Hey!" Heels mixing in with the boot falls. Strained and horse, she sounded terrible, "Get back here!" 

Nina cutely giggled at another pursuer, "Nooo!" 

Jane didn't argue, Sully just barked out a series of vulgar insults that were head spinning coming out of the same mouth that recited bible verses. It was when the lot of you grew closer to Footlocker that your stomach further sank. 

"Hey!" Jane barked for the millionth time, catching Natalie's attention. The woman confusedly poked her head out of the dilapidated store to check what all the hubbub was. 

"Qué onda?" Nina called to the slack jawed woman, stitched x's stretching cringe-worthy with the expression. Nat's face was bright red, upturned nose leaking snot, cheeks shining with hastily whipped away tears. Sclera red and watery. She really was a crier. 

"What the fuck?" Natalie commented, pushing herself out of the door and joining the chase. Nina had stayed ahead of the pack with an agile ease, long legged and swift. Nat was fast though, you wondered if Nina was faster. "How did they- Whatever." She grunted begrudgingly, shoes slapping rapidly against the tile.

"There!" You shouted, pointing a finger at the store as it came into view. Metal grate bent high, impressions of thick fingers still there from the chase all that time ago. You had a better feeling about this time with Nina on your side and keys in hand. You kept grimly realistic expectations when you felt the shudder of Jack's footsteps through Nina's flesh.

"Let's fucking go!" She whooped, waving the gun about as she sharply turned toward the store. "Celebratory gunshot!" Nina announced, whipping around and pointing the gun toward an unseen target. You cringed, these people were terrible but you didn't want more bloodshed. You weren't too keen on the second hand guilt of letting her cradle you while she killed somebody.

**_B A N G !_**

_"Jane!"_ Natalie cried desperately.

"It's fine." Jane hissed. The shaking was getting worse, you could hear his footsteps now. 

"But-"

"It's just a scratch." She flatly replied, fed up but way too emotionally drained to scream commands at you.

"Might not be next time!" Nina teased, "I'm a pretty good shot, ya'know?" None of them gave her a response. Serious, scarily on task, but worn out. 

As Nina bolted through the makeshift doorway, you broke your promise to yourself that you wouldn't look back. Natalie was the closest, red face with gritted teeth. Her eye staring hateful daggers into Nina's back as she pulled knives from either pocket. Did she just keep those in there without any holders or what? Because that wasn't very safe.

Already caught up for the most part was Jack, in second. Mostly straight faced but you couldn't help but notice the strained flatness of his lips and the slight annoyed twitch of his eyebrows. He'd yet to comment on the situation which alarmed you, he always seemed to have some smart ass jab to dish out.

Side by side was Sully and Jane with almost matching wounds. Jane was sporting a lightly bleeding trail of skin on her upper left arm. They didn't acknowledge one another at all. Eyes of hateful green and mesh black snapping toward (e/c) ones the second you looked at them.

You looked away from your captors, busying yourself with the task at hand. You pointed a shaky hand, "Go around that corner then you'll see some stairs. Go down 'em."

"You better stop!" Jane hoarsely yelled.

"Quit your running away, you slutty coward!" Sully snapped.

"I'll make that bitch stop!" Barking, Natalie grunted in effort. 

Nina weaved around the corner, tilting her body and staying low to the ground. You watched with a stupid expression of shock a spinning blade whizzed right over her head a gasp leaving your lips.

Straightening up, Nina singsonged, "Missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me!" 

" _Bitch._ " Natalie snappily insulted.

Nina ducked out of the way of a second flying blade that managed to slice a few hairs but nothing else.

"You suck at this." She berated, popping right back up. You bounced in her arm with the movement, coming off balance enough to reactionary grab at her shirt to steady yourself. Scene queen looked down at you with amusement, "Didn't think you'd ever make a move."

"I- What?" You furrowed your brows at the wink. Was she making a pass at you? She had to be messing around, she was way too up Jeff's ass to be actually interested, also she _hated_ you. It was still enough to have you let go of her, scarily close to accidentally copping a feel.

Nina snickered at you, sighing wistfully when she eyed the gun. You braced your ears for more gunshots, hoping she wouldn't but knowing she totally would. You still attempted to talk her down, "God, don't."

"I will do as I please." Jack darkly chimed in from behind, his booming steps close but even his brisk power walk couldn't catch up to Nina's sprint. His low intonation made you almost want to piss your pants. Butting in even when you weren't addressing him directly, putting his self proclaimed godhood on display.

"I-" You stammered out the words, might as well try and get a last word before you hopefully never saw the sick bastard ever again, "I wasn't talking to you?"

"Aww!" Nina interrupted the moment, obnoxiously cooing and fluttering her eyelashes, "Do you not want me to shoot him 'cuz you have a total crush on him?" She dramatically gasped, "Thought you were into _me_ , ugh! You whore."

Your lip curled as you shouted in disbelief, "He's said many times that he's going to eat me!"

Her face lit up, stupidly grinning and waggling her brows, "Oohohoho! Get it."

"I didn't mean-" You reiterated with a sigh, "I meant he said he'd eat me alive."

"Be glad I just ate." The underlying threat of ' _maybe I'll eat your hands later'_ was not lost on you. 

"Oooh." Nina realized, almost to the stairs. "What you're saying is; You're gonna sink your nasty ass teeth into my precious (Y/n)?" It was odd to see her protective of you, but if Jeff cared about your well being then so did she on some level. She was just poking the bear, trying to get as many reactions out of all of you as possible for the hell of it.

"I'm going to do _a lot worse_ than that." You didn't like the growl in his tone, your heart couldn't take much more of this kind of uneasy terror. "(Y/n)." He sternly called, eerily beckoning you to look over Nina's shoulder. Imposing and irritated, Jack made sure that you caught sight of his mouth full of canines and the snake-like appendage snaking out of the bottom of his trench coat. Dribbling black emptiness locked onto your form, intensely threatening, promising, "You're going to regret defying a god."

You were almost sure you would. 

The tendril shot forth, extending viciously fast toward you both. Your kidney, left lung, and digestive track were total goners. As Nina bounced onto the first step down, you screwed your eyes shut, not wanting to see when the thing was about to get you. 

_"Trrriiiiick shooot!"_

**_B A N G !_**

You snapped your eyes back open, bouncing in her arm repeatedly with every step. Looking over her shoulder you saw the four of them still on your asses. Wound count ticking up to three. Jaw locked tight and brows firmly downcast, Jack reeled the appendage back in. End completely blasted off, insides sickly pulsating and thick bands of blackness oozing down it's form. The thing twitched and shook the entirely of the time that it was brought back, disappearing under his cloak once more. 

Astoundingly he wasn't screaming in pain. The biggest reaction that Nina got out of him was the start of heavy yet well paced breathing. Like he was internally counting to ten in his head with every inhale and exhale. Was it him trying not to show that he was in agony or was he trying to keep it together?

_"You haven't seen me mad yet."_

If looking mad was the extent of his rage then that'd be anti-climatic. You wanted to think that he was all bark and no bite, but the guy was all about tearing flesh with his teeth. He could have shot out another one of the coils, multiple at a time if you recalled correctly, but he simply didn't. Hell, he even started to slow down his walk ever so slightly.

No longer did he carry out his words with a velvety conciseness now he sounded discordantly echoey. _"Come here."_

As if his words commanded it, the others repeated the same sentiment whilst starting down the stairs. 

Avoiding your name and looking at you in general, Nat snapped, "Let go of the fucking hostage!"

She was notably careful about not jumping down the stairs, taking them one step at a time and keeping an eye out for any stray balls. Which there were a couple left over but for the most part someone had cleaned them up.

"Nuh-uuh!" Nina sassed with a snicker. Glancing at the gun with a widening grin, you prepared for more shots for her own personal satiation. 

"Free yourself right now." Jane dully demanded being completely aware of how strong Nina was. She probably just wanted some control, using the fear you had for her to make you do whatever she wanted. You didn't want to leave Nina's strong hold, not feeling safe with her in the slightest but she was your only ticket home. You didn't writhe in your knight in jewelry covered armor's grasp.

"You have a fucking obligation, you dumb bitch!" Sully flip-flopped, from bloodthirsty to attacking your morality. "Norma, I'm gonna wring your fucking neck."

"It's Nina, _actually."_

"Whatever!" He viciously spat. 

The light at the bottom of the stairwell grew brighter with the decreasing distance. "The parking lot's that way!" You pointed even before the doors were in view, eager to get out of the hellish mall.

"Almost out already? Man, this was too easy and honestly, not bloody enough." The scene woman whined, a longing look in her mismatched eyes. "Lemme fix that!" Smiling sweetly, she twisted her torso and pointed the pistol toward the group once more. 

**_B A N G ! B A N G !_**

Cracking sounds and flashing white left you reeling. Blinking away the black spots in your vision you caught sight of the giant of a man stopping in his tracks. Lowly heaving with two holes suddenly in his chest. You could hardly make out any of the detail with the growing distance and bouncing sway that came with being carried. All you knew was that his insides and blood looked vantablack. 

How was he still upright? Forget that, how was he still completely lucid? 

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Nina whooped obnoxiously.

Thunderously he snarled his words though gritted teeth. _**"For fucks sake."**_

The air grew suddenly incredibly humid, grossly heavy and pungent with the smell of freshly paved asphalt. Uncountable whipping tendrils poked out from the bottom of his coat, straining to not launch themselves though your chest. 

Off, not right, wrong in every sense of the word. You felt like there was less air to breathe but that was probably just the pure panic running your though your system. But you couldn't magically make Nina run any faster. The likely case was that she already was going full speed.

One thing you didn't expect to happen was Jack grabbing the back of Sully's jacket as he was just about the rush past him.

"What the fuck?!" Screeching he tried to wiggle out of the article of clothing. Jack put his other hand on the man's shoulder, holding him to kick and scream in place. "Let me go! They're getting away!"

Sully's wound wasn't the worst in the world, Jack had to have been concerned about something else. Enough in order to get him to disregard his own well being to grab the bleeding man. An emergency snack maybe? He seemed just barely in control of himself, you wouldn't be surprised if he unhinged his jaw and bit his head off no problem.

Then it clicked that the two of them were so angry they just might kill you. You were still an asset to be used in their eyes. Well, they wouldn't be able to use you once you were gone. 

"God dammit!" Sully continued to bark while Nina jumped down the last two steps. Instantly spotting the bright light of the outside world and more importantly, the car parked neatly on cracked pavement. 

It was down to Jane and Natalie. The former of which was slowed by her heels as usual, while the latter was only a few feet away.

While you fumbled with the keys to press the button to unlock the doors, Nina burst through the exit. Makeshift alarm chiming and clattering. Ratty converse slapping onto the ground, fresh air gracing your face. Freedom was so close you could practically smell the black licorice air freshener.

When Natalie followed tailed by Jane, Nina snickered with a roll of her eyes. "You guys really wanna get shot, huh?"

"I'm going to kill you." Nat grimly threatened the woman, too pissed to drop a shitty yet admittedly good one-liner. 

"Can't die, remember?" Observing the dimly shining sliver, Nina curiously hummed. "But she can."

You watched with wide eyes as she steadily pointed the pistol at Jane's forehead. How she aimed so well while running you didn't know but nonetheless it was terrifying.

Natalie sharply gasped, face reddening and contorting into a mix of fear and rage. "Don't you dare!"

She put more effort into trying to catch up, reaching out her arm and swiping and Nina's back. Though she'd missed, a few seconds more and you might just have a serious problem on your hands. Jane herself started swerving in an uneven zigzag but Nina kept the barrel trained at her head no matter what she did.

Dropping the giggly ditz act, Nina flatly dished out the ultimatum, "Freeze or I'll shot."

Immediate stop. Skidding a ways forward before she stabilized herself. Knit brows, eye lid popped wide open, and mouth ajar in a frown, Natalie was conflicted with letting you go but it was clear. She loved Jane and didn't want to see her dead.

The van's lights momentarily flashed when you remotely unlocked the doors. Even in the arms of a cold blooded killer, you were overjoyed at the thought of home. Going back to where you belonged. Soon to be held not like a sack of flour, hugged, cared for, safe.

Jane sputtered to put a stop to her sprint, heels dragging on the rocky ground.

"What are you doing?" She raggedly demanded while following the same direction.

She didn't even dare to look over her shoulder, dedicating herself to the freeze command. "What's it look like?"

"I-"

"I'm not losing you." Natalie left a long list of words unsaid but her actions spoke rather loudly. It didn't fix their relationship like that, but it was still a show of love and loyalty. Big bad Clockwork who hated the tables being turned on her was willingly leaving herself vulnerable. If she wanted to, Nina could brain her in an instant and there'd be nothing anybody could do to save her. 

Broad shoulders fell with Jane's deep sigh, "What the hell am I gonna do with you, Nat?" Guess Jane's jealousy could be put to rest now that she knew who Natalie truly cared for. Which was obvious, you were just a plaything and Jane was her partner in crime.

Bitterness laced her laughter, "Keep me around awhile longer."

"Was already planning on it, idiot." Jane wheezily laughed.

"Aww, isn't that sweet?" Sighing, Nina skidded to a stop. Finally putting you down after what felt like a million years of her carrying you. Solid ground beneath your feet after what only was probably a couple of minutes was a blessing. Despite being strong and agile, Nina was red faced and winded, wiping a few stray hairs from her face. Skin shiny with sweat, bathing in the soft glow of sunlight. Disheveled but victorious.

Keys in your hand, you instinctually pulled the drivers side door open.

"You know we're going to find you, right (Y/n)?" Jane tiredly yelled. 

Newfound confidence surged through your system and though your legs may have been shaking, your voice was loud and clear, "You won't."

"I wouldn't be so sure of myself if I were you." Nat called while Nina rounded the car's front, "Won't be long til-"

You weren't going to take this. Not now, not when you had the chance to get a free insult in. "Til you're behind bars. See you in court." You threw yourself into the drivers seat, grabbing hold of the door handle. You gave them both a momentary look in the eye, addressing the two murderesses, "Bitch."

**_Ker-thunk!_**

Your door slammed shut while the passenger door popped open. Nina threw herself into her seat while you jammed the keys into the ignition. She eyed you with pride as you turned the engine. "Hah, nada mal."

Ignoring the comment, you rested your hands on the steering wheel. You were just about to shift the gear into drive but you noticed something, "Hey, buckle up." You'd forgotten to do so yourself and if you escaped the clutches of murders only to die in a car crash, that'd be some real dumbass dramatic irony.

"Right, right, safety first." She chortled, softly clicking the buckle into it's lock.

"Says you." The gear shifted clunkily under your hand, a wave of euphoria washed over you when the van started to roll forward. You told yourself that you'd never look back but your eyes were magnetically drawn to the rear view mirror. They were looking right back at you through the reflection, chilling you to the bone. You did your best to shake off the fear off, glancing to the exit of the parking lot. 

You pressed your foot on the gas with a tired smile. Total shocker that she hadn't back stabbed you yet or put a bullet in your brain. Nina was a godawful person, but you thanked the stars that she was merciful enough not to let you rot away with them. Hopefully she got enough bang for her buck, a fill of bloodshed for the day.

"Sooo," Nina whistled as you came to the road, two options, "Any idea where you're going?"

"Not a clue." You turned out of the parking lot. Going the way less familiar, new sights, a new beginning.

A question still lingered in your mind other than your location, "Where'd you learn to do that?" Glancing at the gun she'd casually rested on her thighs. Talking should be the least of your concerns. You should be figuring out how to get her out of the car but something metal told you that wasn't going to be happening. No way were you going to test her. Deeply traumatized you were probably just looking for something to give your muddled mind a break from everything that just unfolded.

"Impressed are you?" She smiled smugly, "As you should be. Taught myself."

"What?" You found yourself continuously glancing in the rear view to see if they'd be sprinting after the car. They weren't. 

"Yeah!" Nina chirped, fondly looking at the emotionless steel, "Took forever though. First had to steal one, then hide it from Jeff- He really, really hates guns if you didn't know." She rubbed the information in your face looking rather satisfied, "Anyway, I played with it a bunch whenever he was out. Used it on solo missions. Honestly, it's really fucking hot and cool of me to be so good at everything."

"You could have killed them." Maybe Jack was dead right now or at least dying. Sure, he was an unnatural anomaly of the like that you'd never seen but you weren't sure if he could snap back from fatal wounds like the woman beside you. "Why didn't you?" At one point you were about ready to see them die but now you wanted them to face a worse fate. Life in solitary confinement. 

"Eh," She shrugged, "I'd miss their stupid fucking faces." You rose a brow at her, pressing the gas harder and harder, increasing the distance between you and them as fast as humanly possible.

Mouth gaping and blinking dumbly you asked, "Why?"

"Life's great with my stud muffin but," Nina sighed, relaxing back into her chair, "Murder, torture, stalking, kissing in the moonlight, it all gets stale after awhile." It was like she was sober from her mania, humanizing herself but also making herself out to be a complete crazy ass with a lack of regard for human life. "Burns a bitch out, ya feel?" 

Stocking shelves was simple but doing it for hours and hours on end was dully draining. Your activities were a lot more normal but got it. Tight lipped, you nodded.

"Mixes stuff up. Adds some spice you could say." Her hand reached out for the air conditioner, cranking it on and turning down the temperature a few degrees. "Before you ask, shot that giant fucking raisin because he's killed me like twice but super bad. Like," She groaned at the memory, "Regenerating from having my back broken like a glow stick was _such_ a pain in the ass." 

Understandable. 

It was a betrayal to all of them in a sense. Becoming part of the team only to leave it in the dust, wounded and without the solution to their giant problem named Jeffery Woods.

Power was in your hands for once, a steering wheel. She had brains, brawn, a hidden knife, a gun, and probably more intricately hidden weapons on her but you tried to forget about that. The agreement to go your separate ways was understood by both parties and whenever she decided to hop off the van, you wouldn't complain. 

"Ooh! Question."

You avoided saying shoot. "Yea?"

"You're into girls right?" She twirled a strand of pink hair around her pointer finger.

You blinked and looked back to the road. Casually answering, "Uuh yeah, why?"

"Oh my god. You're like the third gay person I've ever met who knows how to drive. Good for you, babe."

This was going to be a _long_ drive.


	25. 24 - Best Friends Forever

For the longest time you had no idea where in the world you where. Then, almost like fate had smiled upon you, you turned onto a familiar back road. One that you'd gone down multiple times when the main road was being repaved or blocked off from an accident. You were practically vibrating in your seat when you drove the van down the road _way_ above the speed limit. Laws be damned, you wanted to go home. 

Sunset had just begun on the outskirts of New Brunswick. You could only describe it as jarring that you were held captive only forty-five minutes from your home. The paved path was comfortably recognizable. While your world had spiraled into a completely different reality where the impossible was real and walking around; the rest of the world had stayed dully the same. You missed it, a repetitively drab life. Infinitely better than what you'd escaped.

The law was going to get to somebody who wasn't you. Them, the mall dwelling nut cases. Nina had her own phone that she kept stuffed in the top of her thigh-high sock. When you'd caught sight of it earlier, she flat out told you that she wasn't going to call the cops for you. She was a murderer after all.

Deeper and deeper you traveled into your town with sparks of teary joy sitting heavy on the bottom of your eyelids. Nina called you a giant crybaby but you'd just laughed it off, too giddy to care. You passed by the entrance of the subway that you'd run out of pursued by those people. That felt like a million years ago, but it'd only been a few weeks to maybe a month. You recognized the entrance of the alleyway you'd gotten punched out in front of. Jane wasn't in the shadows, Natalie wasn't running beside the car bathed in the light of storefronts, Jack wasn't behind her making rude comments that made you feel helpless. Nina was all that was left to shake off but you were confident that she'd split off to go her own way. 

Hands shaking, smile wide, dread finally lifted off of your shoulders, you pulled Liu's van closer and closer to your apartment. The place looked like a motel, rows of labeled doors on a sandy wall. Stairs leading up to another row and then another. Honestly, it wasn't the best place around, but seeing it in the distance made your heart soar. It wasn't just the drab exterior that had you excited, it was who was in apartment eleven. Noah Barkley.

"Don't you look happy." Nina commented with a curt chuckle, watching you with her mismatched eyes. 

"I am." You couldn't stop smiling.

She tapped a messily manicured nail on the dashboard, side eyeing you, "Boyfriend in there?" Nina almost had a nose for this kind of thing. A nose that wasn't too accurate but got things sort of right.

"Roommate." You pulled to a stop at a red light, watching a couple cars turn through the intersection with a newfound appreciation. You'd faded into the background as much as you could for most of your life, everything was just there, people were just another obstacle to awkwardly go around. Now though, seeing other people felt refreshingly wonderful. Seeing two people laughing together in a car that drove past had you feeling all warm and fuzzy. In your happiness, you gave her a better description of Noah, "Best friend actually."

"Oh?" Nina rose her brows at you.

"Yes!" You shouted, speaking far too loudly than appropriate for the situation but you just didn't care. Social norms that you'd forced yourself to learn could suck it, you were fucking happy and you'd shout it from the rooftops. 

The second the light turned green you sped into the parking lot. Not even bothering to park neatly, Liu's van sat on three different lines in front of your home. You slammed the gear into park, fumbling with your seat belt. 

"Hm, nice place." Nina observed while your seat belt was thrown off your torso. 

You gave her one last look over, taking in the sight of your twisted savior with a healthy appreciation. "Thank you, Nina." Sincerity weighed heavy in the sentiment, "Thank you _so_ much." You snatched the door handle and popped it open.

Nina grinned, "Don't mention it, (Y/n)." You threw yourself from the drivers seat as she slid her phone from the top of her sock, unbuckling herself. "Stay safe," She threw herself into the drivers seat, "'Kay?"

"I will!" You waved, internally condemning subways, walking alone at night, "Thanks again!" 

Loudly rumbling, Nina drove the car off, shouting out, "Catch ya later!" While you ran up to your front door. 

There wasn't any time to waste and being out in the late August or early September fall breeze, all alone, made you uneasy. Pounding your fist vigorously on the door whilst looking periodically over your shoulder.

You didn't stop slamming your fist into the wood. Completely polarized by the doormat you stood on, the apartment number that rattled with every knock, it was all so domestically real. You were grinning like a loon and probably looked awful. Sweaty with crusted black on your cheeks, some sitting in your disheveled (h/c) hair. Smelling of black licorice and burnt plastic. 

Muffled footsteps approached the door, a quietly ragged voice sounding from behind it. "Hey, I really don't think that I'm in a good enough place to-" The peephole darkened as he brought his eye up to it. _"Oh my god. (Y/n)!"_

The deadbolt clacked open along with the sliding chain lock, and lastly the twisted lock on the handle. After all of that, the door was flung wide open, his chest promptly slammed into yours. Chubby arms wrapped around your form and squeezed you tight as if he was making sure that you weren't a figment of his desperate imagination, _"Hi, hi! Hello! Oh my god!"_

You could have sworn you heard your vertebrae popping as you babbled out, "Hey Noah! Ole buddy, ole pal! My man!"

A relieved laugh made it's way past your lips as you returned the gesture. Like the big babies the two of your were, you were sniveling and sobbing, but in a good way. Clutching onto the back of his shirt while the both of your pressed further together, heads on one another's shoulder. Cheeks straining from the smile plastered on your lips, lightly irritated from the hot tears that freely slid down them. You were finally back where you were supposed to be. With who you called home. 

"Where have you been?!" Noah questioned into you while the both of you unanimously started to awkwardly shuffle inside. Neither of you willing to let the other go after such a long time apart, hand twisting protectively in his t-shirt, "Where did you go? What happened? I don't- How did you get here?!"

There was so much to tell him it was hard to pick a spot to begin. The floodgates of information were opening and the second you kicked the door shut, feeling much safer, you let it all flow out. "I was kidnapped, Noah, _kidnapped._ By a bunch of crazy people and Liu, well, I guess he's crazy too."

"Liu?" Noah softly questioned.

You let out a hysterical laugh. _Holy shit!_ Liu Woods was alive and you were the only normal person out there who knew that. "Okay yeah so, you remember Liu and Jeff, right?"

"Yeah?" His tone grew quizzical. If you were in his shoes you'd be confused too.

It was like a heavy weight was lifted off of your shoulders with the statement, "They're alive."

"What?" 

You rubbed the fabric of his shirt between your fingers soothingly, "I should probably start at the beginning, huh?"

"Hold up," Noah pulled back with red cheeks and irritated eyes, "Do you want to shower or eat? You look like you've had more than a hard day."

Jane claimed to know you but she didn't really. Noah on the other hand, did. The two of you scrambled around the apartment, not leaving one another's side at all. You were afraid to be left alone again. It was irrational, but you thought if you were alone for a split second they'd come crawling out of the woodwork to snatch you up again. 

You belted out the long story while picking out clothes that were your own. Natalie's gungy garments were peeled off behind the shower curtain and handed to Noah to put on the counter. You had no intention of ever wearing them again, but you were somewhat aware that it was evidence that could be holding heaps of her DNA. Before you'd gotten into the shower, you'd thrown your crusty and torn up jacket in the wash. It got you through everything and smelled like it. You just wanted to be free of every wretched thing about them that had stuck to you. 

A warm shower that washed away sweat and Jack's asphalt-like grime was just what you needed. Venting out every little detail to Noah who sat on the toilet lid chiming in every once in awhile about how this or that was awful. You'd dressed yourself behind the curtain while talking about the fact that monsters were real. No longer donning filthy rags but now a baseball tee Noah had gotten you for your birthday a few years back. A silly cartoon of dancing monsters under the text 'The Cyrptid Mash'. Along with mismatched socks and comfortable leggings.

Like an excited child looking in the window of toy shop, you watched your jacket spin around in the dryer mixed with Noah's socks and gym shorts. It didn't seem real, you felt like you were going to wake up from a good dream back into a nightmare. The familiar smell of the apartment that you'd gone nose blind to smelled so fresh and new, every breath was rejuvenating. So much better than wet mildew, mothballs, asbestos, and occasionally blood. You wanted to savor every single second being back home.

"Oh, man." Noah shuddered. He'd sounded a little less than convinced at first and you understood why. You can't just come home all disheveled talking about a giant gray god-man and not look like you were hallucinating.

You were more than relieved to hear that the kid, Olsen, was okay. Scared out of his wits but okay. Noah recalled being shown four sketches by investigators. You, Jane, and Jack. Jack's was by far the most detailed, down to the monolids and sharp cheekbones. Not to mention the fact that he had no fucking eyes. Jeff was left out as the boy didn't get a look at him. Noah described Jane's as uncanny, a human face without really being a human face, mistaking her porcelain mask for one. Yours wasn't too detailed, but Noah knew it was you. Recalling that he cried in front of the empathetic woman who got up from her chair to pat his back and tell him that they'd find you. 

Still, he we a bit winded about the whole thing as it was a big pill to swallow, and maybe you and Olsen were both experiencing the same psychological delusion. 

"I don't even know, dude." You clutched your head and groaned, a headache throbbing away inside your skull. Everything felt magical but shitty at the same time. You hadn't slept in at least thirty hours, you'd hardly eaten in that time frame either. You had no idea what day it was and you could only tell the time by looking at the green numbers on the oven. It made you think of her. One eye green the other a tick tocking pocket watch. You'd used it over and over to try and keep track of the days, but it proved ineffective from the amount of times you passed out or just slept for hours and hours on end to try and mentally escape. 

You stared down at the granola bar you'd just torn open. Eating only reminded you of the gorey images that had burned themselves into your memory. You didn't know how Jack could stomach all of that, even if he did need to eat it to survive. Hell, you weren't even sure if that was true. Jack could have just been batshit insane and ate people because he could. Considering the fact that he did eat human organs, he was pretty off his rocker. Didn't raw human innards taste awful? You'd think that they'd make even the hardest of criminals gag and projectile vomit just at the sight, but not Jack. 

"I still can't believe that there's someone out there like that. Like all of them." You proclaimed flatly before munching on the dry snack. Downing it with cold water after popping two capsules of ibuprofen into your mouth.

"If I saw someone seven feet tall or someone with a clock for an eye," Noah grew more and more unsettled as he continued on, mental images and rough police sketches mixing into awful things, "Or someone who wore a creepy mask or my dead-" He stopped himself before he could say it. Out of everyone, Jeff was the touchiest topic for you. A wound still fresh and tender that left you confused and sick to your stomach. 

He continued, "I don't know if I'd believe my eyes either."

"Thought I was crazy just about every day," You sighed, "Honestly, I hope that it is all in my head, I don't think I can take the crushing knowledge that a couple of murderous lesbians broke up over my ass." After you threw the wrapper away and set the dish in the sink, you leaned against the kitchen counter. Laughing it off, but in all seriousness it was weird to be the catalyst of a lovers quarrel. 

Jane really was something. Jealous, overly confident, bossy, moody, always in tight fitting black dresses and high heeled boots. You'd never gotten a look at her real face, all you knew was the black and white knowing smile that barked orders at you. You'd never met a higher femme nor one that had such a commanding and intense presence. Thinking of her as anything other than a vile monster was wrong, but you couldn't help but feel if she hadn't gone down that path she would have done great things. 

Noah snorted but his amusement was quickly stamped out. He wasn't one for coping with jokes, but he tried to humor you. The dryer loudly beeped before he could speak up once more. 

You started to leave the kitchen tugging gently on Noah's sleeve to get him to follow along. You wanted to wear your jacket again, it made you feel strong. Metaphorical armor that you used to emotionally protect yourself with. He gave way to your will in an instant but not without voicing, "Hey, shouldn't we call the police?"

The jig was up. You hadn't magically forgotten about the authorities, but they had been pushed away from the forefront in your headstrong need to be with Noah, to exist in a normal mundane space with him. Freaked the hell out but relieved beyond belief. You'd considered bringing it up earlier, but you just needed to keep talking about them to Noah, like you were rehearsing your statement to some middle aged white guy in shades. You'd waited for so long to be back here, you thought that you'd at the very least earned an hour or so of your normal life before you tossed into legal bureaucracy, therapy, and paranoia. 

You took a moment to formulate a response while the both of you made your way to the dryer.

"Can we wait?" Stupid. Selfish. Needed.

"What-" Noah furrowed his bushy brows while you popped the machine's door open, "Why would we do that? If those people saw you get away then they're either coming for you right now or relocating. The more time we doddle-"

"Noah." Flatly dry, you looked him dead in the eye and spoke, "They can't get me, they don't have a car." Even if you lazed around the house for hours, they'd still be trying to catch up on foot. They knew where you lived, that much was true but you were assuming that they were assuming that you'd be at the police station already and not try it. Fear kept telling you that it wouldn't matter where you went, those people weren't the average criminal. They were impossible anomalies, mostly Jack who could be dead right about now. Without their supernatural brawn they'd be at a severe disadvantage.

"They won't get far if they try to run. Please," You pulled the cozily warm jacket over your shoulders, "Can we just watch the fifth season finale of Grey's Anatomy or something? Then we'll call somebody."

As competent as they were, they weren't untouchable. You were giving them forty-five minutes extra of their head start to get the hell out of New Jersey. This case had to be high profile, all the violent criminals and bizzaro shit would catch the media's attention like nothing else ever had. Even if they stole somebody's car, the public on the lookout for a masked lady behind the wheel and her posse in tow, they wouldn't last a week. Although, you wouldn't feel completely at ease until they were in a super max.

Noah's shoulders fell with his sigh, lips twitching stiffly as he considered your words. You were fully aware of the spot he was in. Wanting to do the smarter thing but he had a clear bias toward your interests. "Okay."

You were stuffing your face with the array of snacks he'd pulled from the cabinets. Trailing it all with a grossly overly flavored energy drink but it didn't matter how gross it was, food was food. Who knew that watching TV on the couch could awaken the Kraken that was your mostly empty stomach? 

Sides pressed together, you both tensely watched the drama unfold on the grainy screen. You couldn't help but happily parrot some of the dumber lines and flap your hands. Despite the stress that hung in the room, you were enjoying yourself a ridiculous amount. All the movement had the pins quietly clinking together, grabbing your attention and reminding you of all that the bits of colored enamel did for you. Sparkly white was missing, an undecorated spot that came out of a failed escape attempt. This time you didn't have to let go out any of them. Not even the Jersey Devil. Something you bought on Etsy now felt tainted. A badge of bravery he'd called it, but it felt more like trauma memorabilia. 

You did your best to shove the thoughts back, you just wanted to think about anybody else for five minutes. But when you saw a clock in the background of a shot you couldn't stop yourself from thinking of Natalie's face, the one time she'd trusted you to hold her 'eye'. Over dramatic arguing played on the screen, eerily similar to the scene you'd listened in on only an hour or so ago. You wondered how the girls felt, having just had an explosive spat like that then losing you. One bad thing after another. 

The memories wouldn't stop plaguing you, stimming stopping and a frustrated grimace making it's way onto your face.

"Hey." Warm pressure on your side and and hand on your shoulder had you unclenching your jaw. "Deep breaths, okay?" Still tense, you sucked your lips into your mouth and balled your fists, freezing up instead of further calming down. "Hey, hey," He shifted his anxious energy to one that was more put together, like he was a rock you could lean on, "We'll do it together, on three."

You'd imagined him guiding you through the simple exercise time and time again. A chance to do it for real had you vigorously nodding.

"One." Noah began, pausing the episode right at it's climax.

"Two." Fists started to unball and muscles began to slowly unwind. After this you'd finish out the season and call the authorities, it'd be overwhelming but he'd be with you every step of the way. To pull you aside and talk you though tears or understanding your non-verbal cues that you were about to lose your shit. 

"Three." You may never be completely okay. This was just step one in the healing process, it'd be a slippery slope that you'd fall down more than a few times. You'd never forget what happened, it'd stick with you for the rest of your life but one day you'd reach the point where you wouldn't constantly think of them. Maybe it'd take ten years or twenty but eventually you'd be kinda sorta okay. Eventually, with hope, you'd be more than okay.

Air filtered into your lungs and was held there until Noah was to give you the signal to exhale. Sighing out a hot breath, you followed his lead. In and out. His hand traveling to your back to rub reassuring circles. You don't know how long the both of you sat like that but but the time it was over, you felt a little less terrible. 

After all that rambling, your brain was more than just fried. You couldn't give him an incredibly astute declaration of how much you loved and appreciated him but you were sure that he understood. Still, you had to say something. "Thanks."

"You don't have to thank me," You half expected him to say something cynical along the same lines of what Jane had said, "After all, what're friends for?"

You weakly smiled at him, no ulterior motives just understanding and selfless kindness.

**_THUD!_**

The sudden sound had you jumping to your feet. Your mind instantly went to Jane and her laptop locating wizardry. Also the fact that they knew full well where you lived and this was probably the first place to check. Skin stretched and strained against the angle you'd twisted your neck to get a look at the kicked open front door.

Framed by white moonlight was a silhouette of shuddering black. Bright highlights shone off the greasy strands of hair. You gawked at the stocky figure, knowing full well who it was despite there being multiple candidates for people who'd break into you apartment. It was the harsh stench of body odor that smacked you in the nose and the wheezing rattling breaths of a heavy smoker that let you know who was here. 

_"Jeff?"_ You furrowed your brows, gawking at his form, squinting to try and make out more details. Why was he here? How did he find you? 

"(Y/n)." Old and new, your best friends called for your attention with drastically different tones. One wildly intense, the other mortified beyond belief. Noah's worst fears coming true, trauma he'd worked on trying to cope with for years was creeping back up on him. Evident in the panicked breaths and immediately whipping his phone from his pocket. Sure to be calling the police soon as humanly possible.

"Nina!" She popped her head in through the open door, joining in on the role call, a saccharine grin on her lips. _That's_ how he found you.

Despite the more chilled out mood the last time you saw one another, in the end he still tried to kill you. As much faith as you had in yourself and Noah, you knew that if he came at you that you'd be done for. Jane wasn't here to be your own personal deus ex machina. 

Your eyes drifted over to Nina, them being here made no sense in regards to your mutual agreement.

"What's going on?" You cautiously questioned, internally mulling over all the factors from last time and how you got Jeff to cool it. Some tasteful yelling at him to get himself together may be in order if you didn't want to die. 

Nina innocently batted her eyelashes, dumbly proclaiming, "Oh, he just wanted to drop in!" One last goodbye until you disappeared from one another's lives completely was wishful thinking. A train of thought you hoped was true. 

She gave Jeff a loud pat on the ass, hushedly mumbling, "Make it quick, okay? I wanna make up for lost Jeff time." She zipped out of the doorway without any response given from him.

You couldn't see his eyes but you'd bet that they were locked on you, the way your skin was vehemently crawling had to mean it was true. 

"Hello?" Noah's voice cut through the silent tension. You looked away from Jeff over to your roommate, a dream you'd once shared as children but was now _far_ out of reach. A representation of all of what Jeff wanted to be. A replacement. Your stomach dropped.

Noah was the first of the three of you to move, clasping a hand onto your shoulder with a frown and a phone held up to his ear. He started to push you around the couch, heading directly into Jeff's path. Even in your state of shock you were able to get that he wanted to run to one of your rooms, lock the door, and wait for the authorities. Or if worse came to worse, climb out the window. 

Chatter from the other end of the phone and then, "I need the police." 

There was nothing you could have done to stop it. One second you were eyeing Jeff warily, the next your head swiveled to the side, unknowingly giving yourself nasty whiplash as you tried to follow the blur of silver metal. Shock spiking though your system in a paralyzing wave. Again your body betrayed you and forced you into the role of a pathetic observer. You thought you were over this but you should have known you weren't. Nina had to carry your sorry ass out of that mall, on your own you couldn't do a thing. 

Noah screamed bloody murder, but he wasn't dying yet. He just had a knife impaling the center of his palm. Phone forced the floor, screen shattering on impact but the call was still going, the soft voice of the operator echoing from the dark screen, "Sir? Sir? Hello?"

Only moments ago his breath was steady, now it was labored. Clearly trying to cope with the sudden wound, hand unusable and shaking violently. "Sir, are you alright?"

Noah was different from you in many ways, but the most drastic difference was that when he panicked, he broke down but he moved. Usually to hide himself away in his room. He was hurt but he wasn't going to run away without you. His other hand grabbed onto your own, at a momentary loss for words, he simply turned and tried to lead you away. 

Escape was handed to you on a silver platter once, but that kind of fortune would not befall you twice. Blurred white, black, and brown rushed passed you, tinted by the blue of your paused TV screen. You didn't want to process what was happening, but you already had. The idea horribly cemented itself in your heavy gut when Noah's hand was ripped from yours.

The floor shuddered with the impact, landing on his stomach first, followed by his forehead. Another shrill shriek pierced the air as you stumbled back, the knife in his palm only being buried deeper with the force of the floor.

"What's going on?!" The operator beat you to the verbal punch when they weren't even in the room. 

Jeff stood tall over the writhing man, feet on either side of his kicking legs. Watching him with an expression you could not see. Fists balled tight at his sides, raggedly hyperventilating, his popcorn lung was painfully obvious.

Your will was strong but your initial fear response was stronger, all you could do was talk. It worked before, why not try it again? " _No Jeff, please!"_

He looked over his shoulder. Sclera red, iris blown out, boring into you with fiery intent. Noah on the other hand was screaming at the operator, spouting out your address and, "Me and my friend are being attacked!"

Jeff's gaze didn't waver when he stomped a foot onto Noah's back. The man in question squealing beneath him, kicking and clawing at the floor. Nothing came out of his struggle other than the creeping grin that had Jeff pulling his lips back, almost snarling. He wistfully sighed, dazedly musing over Noah's protests, "You really think you've got me wrapped around your fucking finger, don't you (Y/n)?"

"I-" Everyone else said so. "I don't!" Your voice cracked, distressed and lying.

Wheezing cackles pushed past chapped lips, "You do and you know what? That's okay." He sounded scarily reasonable but you didn't trust him with all that he'd done so far, "Because I'm gonna show you how little I give a shit about you." Jeff fell onto his knees, digging them firmly in Noah's soft back. 

_"No!"_ Noah wailed, upping the intensity of his struggle. Awkwardly turning himself around to claw his good hand at the man's knees.

It was useless and you knew it, but you still had to try. Freezing up and cowering had done nothing for you. Others had to keep stepping in and helping your useless ass all because you'd get so overwhelmed by what you were supposed to do, that you'd do nothing at all. At the end of your rope, exhausted, weak, but thicker skinned. Forced to get used to being around terrible people, talking about and doing terrible things. It was a shitty way to have to grow as a person but you think you'd finally learned your lesson. 

No more cowering.

You had no plan other than to throw yourself at him and hope for the best. Feet slamming on the floor while Jeff bent forwards, snatching Noah's wrist and yanking the knife from his palm. Pain and desperation was obvious in the way he screeched, your battle cry mirroring him but with an unrestrained edge of rage. 

You weren't losing your rock again. Not like this and not to the last.

Gritted teeth scraped together with the impact, latching onto Jeff's upper back. Chest leaning on his head while your thumbs went to press themselves in his eyes. When you were suddenly off of him and barreling backward, you were confused for a moment, asking yourself; What happened?

_**THUD!**_

When did you get on the floor? Face down and head confusedly swimming. Something wasn't right. Not just the obvious situation at hand but the intensely painful ache, the odd bump that was too far forward one of your shoulders, the inability to move your arm, hot white flashes of pain making your vision swim. 

You propped yourself up on your dominant arm. You had to move, you had to stop him, save him. You grunted, other arm uselessly hanging while your shoulder only hurt you further.

Was it the pain or the inevitability of loss that had tears spilling over your eyelids? 

Although Noah was pinned under two-hundred-something pounds of killer, he still tried to check in on you, desperation apparent, "(Y/n)?!"

Jeff twisted his head around as far as it'd go, snarling at you and wheezily chuckling, "Are you watching, (Y/n)?"

"Don't do this!" You cried, scrambling to push yourself onto your knees.

"I'll do whatever the fuck I want." Still wearing that crooked grin, the rabid man viciously barked, "When I want, how I want, and there's fucking _nothing_ you can do about it!"

"Why?!" You hadn't the brain power to properly word the question. Just having to hope that he got the message that his proclamation made no sense to you. Your approval of his 'lifestyle' didn't matter in the least, because your thoughts and opinions clearly couldn't physically stop him, he had to know that, right?

"Because!" He snapped as you finally lifted yourself to your knees. 

Anguished redundancy echoed inside the statement, "But why!?"

"Because _you_ care." Jeff snapped, reeling up his arm, "You make me feel less shitty about myself. Fuck you."

Someone who didn't care of what you thought of them wouldn't go to this extent to prove it, would they? 

The knife kept on raising, glistening in the TV light. "Stop!" Noah had no say in the entire situation, a victim of circumstance. Still, he struggled and begged. "Stop! Please!"

He couldn't get Jeff to stop, but you maybe could. You heaved, shaking legs bringing you up. Back pounding and generally feeling like ass. Hesitation kept you from immediately running at him again, this time he hadn't spared you from bodily harm. Approaching him could mean that you and Noah could both die. The wild animal armed with a knife didn't bother to stop droll dribbling over his bottom lip in anticipation of a kill. 

Catch twenty-two. You say you don't care, he'll get angrier and murder Noah. You say you do care, you validate him and he'll still kill Noah. Option number three was to do nothing and still watch Noah die. Four was trying to reason with him in a different way, earning the same result. At least, that's what your gut told you, but your gut wasn't all knowing. 

Something had to be the right answer and you didn't have the time to deliberate. Cheesy as it sounded, you just went with your heart. "If you don't care about me, then leave!" Though, your heart didn't have too much kindness in it for Jeff right about now.

"You have no control over me!" Jeff screeched over Noah's whimper.

"I never claimed to have any!" Jeff didn't drop the knife, didn't get off Noah. Whatever you said, you couldn't reach him. This was something he had to prove to himself in the worst possible way. You held up your right arm in an act of surrender, taking a single stumbling step toward him but not daring to take another. "Look, if you don't care about me you can prove it by leaving." 

For a moment, just one, Jeff the cold-blooded, sadistic, shameless killer considered your rational idea. Even right after what he'd just said. You guess that deep down, he really was that little boy who cared way too much about what you thought of him.

_"STOP! NO!"_

You did not hear the phone operators panicked proclamation over Jeff's unhinged roar _, "THIS_ IS EXACTLY WHY I HAVE TO DO THIS!"

The flow of time was as merciful as it was cruel. Not elongating seconds of suffering in his wake, but not granting you more childhood innocence. With time came choices, what to eat for breakfast, what to wear, what to say, what to do. It all added up to what your life unfolded to be, an over dramatic stage play acted out in a high school gymnasium. There was no going back. There was no stopping the knife from drilling down into Noah's back.

You screamed something but you couldn't tell what, screech too shrill, too ragged. Noah matched your pitch, a harmonious ringing of wails. Played over by wicked cackling, the sound of a grossly wet slap, the operator's shouts, Noah's nails clawing and supple flesh slapping itself onto the wood to try to worm away.

Jeff's body jerked and shuddered under the struggle and because he viciously tore the blade free. Glinting purple in the blue light. He wouldn't even look at Noah while he was killing him. Almost like he wasn't even there and the mass that Jeff violently stabbed once more was nothing more than squealing air.

_"DON'T YOU GET IT, (Y/N)?!"_ Another harsh removal of the knife that had Noah wailing and you growing more and more over whelmed. _"I'M NOT HUMAN!"_ Down the metal went, this time producing a harsh mist that sprayed itself on the hallway walls. " _I'M SOMETHING WORSE!"_

Another stab, so hard that Noah's legs jerked up, slapping flat onto the floor. No longer kicking, just twitching and shaking. As terrible as it was, you hoped that Noah died quickly. Though an ambulance may have been on the way, you had confidence in one thing about Jeff. That he knew how to kill somebody, there was no miraculous missing of an artery or vital organ with him. A decade of murder under his belt definitely taught him a thing or two.

Bloodshot blue was unrelenting, locked onto you and savoring your mortified expression and shivering body. " _I'M SOMETHING THAT YOU ALLOWED TO EXIST, SO I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING!"_

Unfortunately Noah wasn't dead just yet, having enough air in his lungs and desperation in his heart to shrilly shout out one last request, _"(Y/N)?! HELP ME! PLEASE!"_

Those words awoken something in Jeff. Calls from what he knew only as his replacement for your precious help. " _I'M SOMETHING YOU LET IN! YOU DID THIS! YOU CHOSE TO BE MY FRIEND!"_

After everything he'd done for you, the comfort, a place to belong, a person to hold and be held by, you didn't help him. It was practically over before you knew it. Your inaction was a mercy. Get involved and it'd be worse for him. You didn't want to imagine what was going through his head but your mind forced it; _Why me? What's happening? Where are the police? Why won't (Y/n) help me? I thought we were family._ _Is she okay? I hope she gets away even if she's a fucking coward._ Imagining what he'd think if he died knowing that you were next was a lot worse.

" _LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT WHAT I'M DOING AND CRY!"_ Jeff never looked so in his element, passionate. Hysterical. He'd found his calling a long time ago. It just took you way too late to see it. 

You already were, you had been watching, unable to look away, but it wasn't enough to satiate the monster smiling at you. You didn't know what else to do. Right after you'd just hyped yourself up to such unrealistic expectations. You couldn't believe that you talked to him like a person, like an old friend.

Why were you so stupid? Why didn't you just go down to the station? Why did you show Nina where you lived? What the fuck was wrong with you?

Home. You wanted to go home so badly that you disregarded everything. You just wanted pleasant company. Because of that, your human home was shaking in shock on the floor. Sputtering and weakly squealing. 

One after another, the hits kept on coming, blood kept on splattering onto your walls and leaking onto the floor. Noah's burgundy socks slacked. His legs jerked every single time that he was struck, but there was no more struggle. Every sound after that was an involuntary squelch or slap from his soulless flesh. 

Noah Barkley was dead. 

Maybe he's just unconscious, you thought, self aware of your own grief stricken denial. Jeff didn't stop painting your apartment red for god knows how long. Your brain focused on the sound of it, straining your ears until the white noise of the janky heater started to get at your already overwhelmed self. 

Door wide open, you should go. Run out to the road, scream, wave down incoming police cars. Be wrapped in a cheap plastic blanket and have your back patted by a stranger. Put your head on their shoulder and pretend they were somebody else. You did nothing. 

Overwhelmed with choice, guilt, and a mess of other emotions. You could have just been thinking deep down that you deserved it too. Where would your life even go after this? What would you say to James? _'Hey, sorry that I didn't save your boyfriend from being brutally murdered by my childhood best friend who's obsessed with me?'_ Where would you live? Did you still have your job after being gone for so long? If Jeff disappeared into the night would you be framed for murder?

You were acutely aware that Jeff had stood himself up, laughing and lackadaisically swaying back and forth. Even in your dazed state, you knew that you really didn't want him to turn around and let you see Noah's decimated corpse. You knew that you wouldn't be able to look away.

One, two, three steps was all it took for Jeff to be across the room already, for you to see his front, to show the body behind him. You were right. Jeff was nothing but laughing scarlet in your peripherals. Complete tunnel vision set straight on the middle of Noah's back. The slits of red around the edges of the caved in epicenter. Bile bubbled up in the back of your throat, burning hot before you forcibly swallowed it back down.

" _LOOK AT ME!_ "

Mashed globs meat, glints of vertebrae shining though, some more exposed than the others, spines weren't supposed to look like that. There was no coming back from that, was there? Unless he was a bed ridden vegetable the rest of this life. Even if that could happen, it'd be up to his family to make the call. You wondered if James would stay with him still. After all, he only had his shitty hoarder parents and a dead end job. Noah was his ticket out of there, level headed and kind. Now he was stuck at the bottom of a hole without a ladder, just like you. 

" _AREN'T I DISGUSTING? DON'T I MAKE YOU WANT TO VOMIT?_ "

Sit by a bed holding a lukewarm hand and longing for a miracle that'd never come. Sit by a tombstone and look at the name of a corpse who would not rise from the dirt. Either way, it was grim days ahead for many people who loved that body laying on the floor. 

" _THIS IS YOUR FAULT_."

Grief gripped your entire chest, twisting and squeezing every organ. Emotional turmoil felt so much worse than the misplaced mass that was your shoulder. 

**_SKKKRCH!_**

"Well fuck me! Look what the cat dragged in!" Nina sneered from somewhere.

_"(Y/n)."_ Jeff commanded your attention, purposefully softening his voice into something more recognizable and kind. What you saw was a rotten walking corpse that immediately started cackling. You didn't need him to say it, the look on your face had to be like no other. Well, maybe like Liu's on that fateful night. His already stained hoodie was soaked in red, you could smell the thick metallic scent wafting off the thing. Blind eye irritated more than it already was, getting someone's blood on your unprotected cornea had to hurt. Dull yellow teeth and twitching scar tissue matched with everything else, tainted with the blood of your best friend.

Three hasty _thunk'_ s. The earth shuddered as you heard Nina again, "Hey! You giant gray fuck! Let's dance!" 

Both of you knew it was them, coming the drag you back to the chopping mall kicking and screaming. Guess that deus ex machina was coming for you after all, far too late. Unhinged, unrestrained from the need to people please, Jeff paused as he looked down at you. Deliberation.

"Actually, you're fucking mine!" Nat corrected. You couldn't see them, entranced with the sight of Jeff, their voices a distant echo in your mind.

Nina scoffed, "Uhm! I wanna fight him!" 

Jack sounded worse, so discordant that it took you a good few seconds to decipher what word was being said, **"WORM."**

"Okay, never mind. You're on gay-ass!"

Feet on asphalt, laughing, ear grating metal colliding, and hateful banter played over yours and Jeff's stare down. Time was ticking. The inevitable on it's way.

_Click, clack, click, clack._

And it wasn't alone.

**THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.**

A man of action, Jeff came at your stunned form, kick starting your fight or flight instinct when you should have been a half-mile away by now. Before you could retreat, a boot made it's home in the middle of your stomach. Pain, sharp and sudden. Vomit came rushing back up your esophagus, this time you couldn't force it back. 

Coughing out a relatively small load of hot chunks onto your assailant, you were lifted from the ground. For just a moment, you were freed of his foot and you were flying. Weightlessness wasn't all it was chalked up to be. Jeff watched you come back down, laughing when you slammed down onto the floor, arms first. Your dominant arm throbbed but the agony was nowhere near what your busted shoulder felt.

The hot tears wouldn't stop and neither would Jeff. Slick was the hand that shoved itself between (h/l) locks, fingers curing into your scalp. Your flesh anxiously crawling beneath his vile touch. It didn't help when he lifted your head up just by his death grip on your skull. He'd bent himself forward, smokey breath mixing with an unbrushed tongue forcing a putrid scent into your nostrils. Grease and blood clumping his hair together, some strands falling onto your face, painting your skin. 

Soul piercing blue flickered off of your face to the door, "Lookey-lookey, someone's come to save poor pathetic (Y/n)!"

Muscles contorted your face into an expression of sorrow and rage. Noah would definitely want you to live on, and honestly you didn't want to die. It was just hard to keep fighting even with all that you'd been though. All that you'd hoped for was destroyed right before your eyes. What was left in life for you was hard to grasp with such a muddied mind but it looked like your future only her in it. The woman who you could only see a sliver of, straining your neck in Jeff's grip to look.

The rest of your life was standing clad in black, fists balled and shaking. There would be no healthy recovery, no somber period of self realization and contemplation, there would just be Jane and her freaky company. What growth could you have in their presence? A lot actually, but you didn't exactly see it being positive. 

You'd been practically dragged up onto your knees, just barley hovering above the ground. Praying that a miracle would come to you. Jane definitely wasn't your first pick for a knight in shining armor, her presence signifying a lack of change and incoming wrath. Just once she could do right by you, direct that rage at Jeff, and make him repent for all that he'd done. You hoped she saw in your brokenhearted puppy dog eyes what she saw in her family that night. Please, you internally begged, think of all that he took from you, what he just too from me. Make the connection of loss, stop him from taking another and actually step up to the plate and finally be _righteous_. 

He just laughed at her shaking form, not doing anything to help for some reason. "Even she knows _you're_ a lost cause (Y/n). Came all this way just to watch you snivel and whine like a _big fucking baby!"_ The earth rattled, humidity suddenly filled the air, everything sucked already but the atmosphere felt physically wrong. 

"Ow! Ow! Ow! My hair!" Nina shrieked. Hearing her voice after what she'd started made you realize how grating it was, so irritating that you could have sworn your ear drums were twitching in agony.

Jane had heard and seen enough to make her own judgement. Retribution. She threw herself forward, brandishing a basic knife, you still had no idea as to where she kept it. Jeff's grip on you tightened as he cackled, "The fuck are you gonna do? You know I'll be back tomorrow! There's no fucking point!" 

"You're disgusting." Was all Jane could muster up in a low voice. Pretty accurate.

Jack was coming, turning through the open door but frame mostly blocked off by the woman who was rushing toward the both of you. Something she'd done had thrown him way off, fingers unfurling from your scalp and without any support, you were dropped onto the floor like a doll that it's owner had come to find borning. Landing oddly on your bad shoulder, a pained screech pushed out from your vocal cords.

Shoes scraped and screeched around you, grunts of effort and the sound that had been ingrained in your ears over the past few minutes. A knife forcing it's way into skin, past muscle, scraping bone. It was horrible. You hoped the one on the receiving end of it all was Jeff. Before it was distressing to think about, even if he deserved it for sure, but now you were starting to understand Jane's rage filled disposition. What a world to live in when the woman of your nightmares was the person you were rooting for.

The other person in the room sent an icy chill to your bones even if your eyes weren't on him. You didn't need visual cues to tell that something was wrong. The closer he was, the more you could feel the air growing sticky, the louder his agitated snarl. Jack was just about ready to go rabid. Still alive after being shot in the chest and about to make somebody pay.

Even knowing that trying to run away in your state was pointless, you still tried to scramble yourself onto your hands and knees. Balance didn't want to come to you, dominant arm shaking almost as much as your chattering teeth. Jack was behind you. You'd managed to prop yourself up on your good elbow and crane your head up to instinctively look at the commotion playing out in front of you.

You could tell that Jeff and Jane were there, fighting obviously but the moment you looked up, it was over. The trail of scaly black had shot out from behind you quicker than anything you'd ever seen. Jammed in the dead center of Jeff's sternum. Feet dangling off of the ground, the man keeping himself somewhat upright despite being completely impaled. 

Jeff looked down at the tendril sticking out of his chest, dazed but still able to stupidly hack out, "Okay, fucking ow!" He groaned, straining his neck to dimly look your way, "But shit, this ain't as bad as losing someone you love, right (Y/n)?" Fatally wounded, his top priority was to continue rubbing salt in your wounds. 

"Why are you like this?" You pushed out the question, drearily knowing that the window of opportunity for even a sliver of closure was shutting fast.

You don't know what compelled Jack to keep him dangling there awhile longer while Jane looked on with morbid interest at the viscera pierced on the tendrils end. Maybe he cared about petty answers as much as you did, or he just needed a second to collect himself when you were right there, just waiting to be stomped on.

The moment was horrible but at least you got a cynical answer, "I've always been like this!" Jeff seemed almost overjoyed at the proclamation, at your disappointment.

Everything happens for a reason. Tonight's catalyst was the rough around the edges but ultimately, sweet boy that you used to know. He may have rotted from the inside out over the years but you knew him and you'd known him well.

"Liar."

If his eyes could bulge out of his eyelidless sockets even more than they already were, they'd pop right out, danging out attached by thin optic nerves. He writhed, kicking his legs as much as possible, coughing out bloody chunks, stabbing at the appendage sticking out of him. Trying and failing to free himself by jerking futility on the thing, growling with curled back lips. " _Fuck you! Fuck all of you!"_

That's all Jack needed to hear. Warm asphalt-like ooze finally dribbling onto your back, just like before but this time he was taking on your mantle.

 **"SILENCE."** Even louder and soul rattling than the one word growl from outside. Jeff yelped, suddenly being reeled back like a confused fish on a hook.

_**CRUNCH!**_

Wet hot gobs of _something_ slapped onto your back. You didn't know how to categorize the sound Jeff was making. Or was that Jack? You just knew that whatever was happening a foot or so above your shivering body, you wanted no part in it. To so violently take one's anger out on another was something you'd just seen in the worst way possible. Karma was biting Jeff in the ass but still, the principal of retaliation sat bitterly on your tongue. Reminding you of the body that lay face down and disgraced across the room. 

What did you do to deserve every single miraculous save? Why didn't Jack just go after Nina if he was so pissed off? She was the one who really got him going in the first place, but Jane alone probably would have met the same fate. Jeff couldn't be dispatched without the all powerful monster around. Said monster probably knew that, controlling his temper until he saw the man of the hour or until he saw you.

Closure's window snapped shut, stupid of you to think that you could get any from a hollow person like him. Escape's window wasn't just shut, it was locked tight with metal prison bars slapped over it, but you still had to try. 

You wanted to live in more of a sense than continuing to exist. You wanted to get help, you wanted to actually get over Jeff's memory, you wanted to carry out Noah's memory in the way that he would have wanted. You wanted to watch raindrops race on a car window. Be one of those people who hand grinds their coffee beans. Write bad poetry about ex's, the month of February, and grass between your toes. Life with these people would be short, unsatisfying, and dreadfully miserable. 

Move, you had to move. One of your arms was down for the count and your legs were shaking so bad that crawling unevenly forward was a challenge. God. Why couldn't you just run? Why did you shut down so badly in situations like this? Why couldn't you be some straight out of a movie badass that was completely unphased by all of this? 

_**CRUNCH!**_

This time the moist bits fell lower on your back. Bigger than the last, you could feel them jiggle, gripping the fibers of your jacket before rolling off your back. Clean only a few minutes ago when Noah was around, quietly marveling about the rips and tears in the fabric, wondering aloud how it somehow held together all this time. You'd said some bullshit about the fabric barley keeping it together but hanging in there just like you had. He'd laughed sadly at that, placing a hand lovingly on your back.

A helping hand didn't gracefully hold itself out to you. Instead, it grabbed you by the good shoulder and hoisted you up. You stumbled with the sudden weight on your unprepared feet, knocking dazedly into her side. Which gave Jane the perfect opportunity to snake a strong arm around your torso, firmly holding onto your side rather than further irritate your throbbing flesh. 

Captured before you even got to ran. Heavy eyes dragging themselves to that body. No rise and fall, no groaning, nothing. He wasn't even going to be given the opportunity to be a vegetable. Your rock was just gone, shared apartment tainted with blood and bad memories. You leaned willingly onto her, unabashedly wailing. It wasn't right but she was something to rely on for now.

"Come on." Jane wasn't as strong sounding or angry as normal. Sobered, somber, humbled by solidarity. She took the lead, walking mostly for the both of you while you dragged your heels the fastest you could. 

_**CRUNCH!**_

You couldn't help but look at what had become of Jeff even if you knew full well that looking was a bad idea. A lot of people liked to eat gummy bears first because it was either more humane in their eyes, put them out of their misery. For Jack, you were under the impression that he did it out of rage, out of a sick need to be in power. There was no mercy in his grasp. 

Jeff's forehead was nonexistent. Actually all signs of his head disappeared above his brow bones. You'd seen moist beef jerky slathered in red tinted barbecue sauce, mashed up jello, and a bunch of other nasty food combinations to simulate zombies eating a person's brains, but it did not prepare you for this. Juicily puffy, looking like skin that had been in water way, way, _way_ too long, bright pink with the tiniest veins you'd ever seen spilling over the bowl that was his torn open skull. 

He'd gone limp by now, body twitching, neurons confusedly trying to figure out what to do when it was all useless. Jack held tightly onto his neck, claws digging deep into his gnarled skin to hold up his jiggly meal. Eaten messily with gnashing canines, bone loudly snapped on his back teeth, excess brain matter spilling past his blood soaked lips. When he was ready for more, he dove his face right into the mess. Bringing his messy visage back up with an animalistic growl. Glistening black, multiple somethings peaked out of his mouth to lap miscellaneous juices off his lips and chin. 

You thought he was full, but you guessed not. Jack wasn't very hungry but the god he vaguely described was insatiable. Hungry for a sinner, a real filthy bastard to consume, Jeff was the perfect candidate.

Thoughts about the monster of a man were ceased momentarily by Jane dragging you away, out the door. The night air was comfortably cool on your hot sticky skin. A stray leaf crunched under your foot, the scent of Autumn lingering in the air. Nice night outside, but it was by far the worst of your life. 

She didn't stop carrying you along. Your body was so ridged and heavy, exhaustion in every single right taking it's toll. There were two cars in the parking lot, Liu's van sitting in the middle of the lot and a beaten up hunk of metal that you'd never seen before beside it. Did they steal that? Where was Liu anyways? 

"Hey!" Natalie called, tick tocking and jingling on her brisk jog over to the both of you, "Got the keys back and took care of th- Oh." You met eye to eyes. Defeat and shame reflected back at you muddily in her clock. Recognition and pity crossed her bloodied features, for once she didn't make a biting or sarcastic comment. "Lay her down in the back, okay?" 

"Was planning on it, just need you to unlock the doors in a second." You'd seen enough blood and gore tonight, when you passed by a suspicious dark spot in the dark gray asphalt, you didn't look.

_Click!_

"Thanks." Jane's hand slowly rubbed your side, comforting you when your shaking peaked. The very idea of getting back in that car was horrible after everything else. There was nothing you could do about it other than accept your fate. Doomed to repeat the same horrible process over and over till you achieved other people's goals or died trying.

After Jane pulled the door open, she helped push you up the steep step. Van's floor sinking under feet and under Natalie's when she hopped in after you.

"I got it." She murmured to Jane, pulling the door shut behind you both. "Lay down (Y/n)," That wasn't a command, it was a sympathetic suggestion, "You should probably get some rest. I know it's-" Her hand was warm and solid on your mushy back, gently guiding you toward the mattress, "I know it takes a lot out of you when this kinda shit goes down."

You were out of words. Just waling sorrow and tears at this point. Brainlessly, you attempted to simply throw your damaged body onto the mattress. Luckily Natalie gripped the back of your jacket tightly while Jane climbed into the front seat, keys that Nat had passed off to her finagling in her dainty fingers.

"Take it easy now." Nat ushered, making sure that you laid down on your side leaving your busted shoulder unharmed. Once her work was done and Jane had started the car, Nat sat herself by your knees. Keeping your odd company while you blankly stared at Liu's belongings. 

"What about Jack?" You couldn't recall when the last time Natalie actually called the man by his proper name was.

"He said that it's best to let him be when he gets like that." Jane informed while the car began to roll forward, drastically turning to correct it's direction after the messy parking job.

Mentally you screamed at yourself to stay awake as long as possible, but you needed just a few minutes of shut eye. Just a second of respite from the fact that Jeff could have killed you, but he'd spared your life. Purposefully leaving you alive to suffer a much worse fate than death. To be lost with no home to return to, yearning for something that was no longer there. 

You shut your eyes and escaped the only way you truly could.

**\----**

_Nothing happened today and that was fine in your books. No breeze came around to loudly rustle the willow's limp branches to send you into a tizzy. Jeff hadn't gotten yelled at by his parents. Liu was inside reading some book that flew way over your head. Summer was in full swing, no shitty teachers, no staring peers, no homework._

_Your cold water bottle rested by your thigh, the sun softly shone through a sliver in the tree's cover. Warm rays rested softly on your cheeks, you sighed and relaxed further into Jeff's stomach. He'd laid himself down, leaning his head into his palms, acting way too casual. You'd seen the chance to get comfy and took it. At first he was surprised but he didn't fight it. In fact, his hands had traveled down to your (h/l) locks and started to idly play with them. It felt nice, Jeff was a lot more gentle than he'd like to admit._

_Letting sleep take you was a tempting idea, but if you did then you wouldn't be able to enjoy this moment with him. Both of you sharing a tender look at one another. Pure adoration in his eyes and you innocently returned the same look._

_"I'm really glad that I know you." The pre-teen suddenly murmured._

_You blinked and smiled at him, his cheeks already that cute bright red that always came when he was embarrassed. "I'm happy that I know you too." You brought your hand to his, the one that was resting face down in the wispy grass. Fingertips lightly traced over still healing knuckles. Roughness that led into smooth, supple skin._

_Hands were held. Loving looks that only you two could share were exchanged. A heart skipped a beat. Life was tough but with him it wasn't as bad._ _Growing up would bring plenty of challenges and change, but you hoped at the end of the day, things would always be as caring and easy as this. You hoped that you'd be friends for all of eternity. Well, that was a long time, so you settled to be content in the moment, finally closing your eyes and drifting off with him._


	26. 25 - Take One For The Team

Dirty. Ice cold water and a change of clothes was not enough to wash away the feeling of Jeff's still warm blood on your skin. Morbidly, you thought it would have felt a little better if your back had been drenched in Noah's blood but you were not granted many mercies. 

What was it, the amount of time you were free? An hour? Two? Three if you were being generous. The gifted shirt from Noah had been a representation of change into a better life for you at the time. Now you were sitting back at square negative one. More specifically, wrapped in a thick yarn blanket that Jane lent you, wearing her clothes. Black like everything else she wore, a knee length dress with long sleeves made of a thick material. Basically a glorified sweater. 

You were still in disbelief even though days had came and went. Night and day blurring together, most of your time spent with your head in your hands. When they weren't, it was dim. The past few days, dark gray clouds loomed overhead, draining themselves of heaps upon heaps of rainwater with no sign of stopping any time soon. Occasionally, a clap of thunder followed by a bright flash would jolt you from your gloomy thoughts. It made you wistfully think that more than just you and Noah's family and partner were in mourning, but the world too. Crying so heavily over the loss of a good soul. Ultimately a grain of sand in the dessert, but it was one less. No loss too small to be uncried over.

The thought was oddly comforting, but physically it wasn't the best. With the rain came the cold. Not unbearably, icy but it was chilly enough to make Natalie zip up her jacket and pull up her hood most of the time, short brown locks tangling in the dark green fuzz. You'd idly watched her scramble to put buckets down when the rain started a few days back. Hastily positioning them to gather up the water that came in through the holes in the roof. Even though this place was dilapidated, she tried her best to make sure there would be no further damage. Reasonable, this was her home. A place that you didn't have anymore. Even though this hell mall was your place of residence now, you didn't consider it a home. Your heart was not with the cold tiles and black mold on some it's walls. 

The most punishment you got was Natalie trying to help you with your shoulder. She'd said something about having experience doing that sort of thing on herself, so it was a good idea to have her do it. Jack was still gone and the pain had only grown more and more unbearable. Waiting was an option, but not the one you chose. Maybe you should have, because Nat may have popped your shoulder back into place but there was still something wrong. Pain and bruising was expected, but a slightly protruding bump wasn't. She did it but not completely correctly and any attempted fixes didn't seem to work. Movement in your arm was possible but agonizing. You'd have to wait for Jack to come back to have it fully functioning again. 

Well, maybe you could consider Jane wrestling your prized jacket off your person her version of punishment. She wasn't particularly rough or rude about it, just stern. It wasn't the worst thing ever, but you'd been without the thing since earlier today or late last night. Since then, you hadn't seen a wink of the curvy goth.

Screaming, intentional bodily harm, restraints, none of it happened. You got warm food, gruffly reassuring words, and the rare pat on the back from Natalie or delicate gloved hand on your forearm from Jane. You weren't friends by a long shot but you were all comrades with mutual trauma. Still, it was odd to have them actually try to show that they cared about your emotional well being. At the end of the day, you were still nothing but a tool to them. A tool that before they hadn't cared one bit about. 

Human decency was great and all but ultimately, you were still dealing with a knot of complex grief. People who'd gone through incredibly distressing events sometimes were granted comfort animals. Rake wasn't gifted to you, he decided to keep you company and be your emotional support monster. Through the slog of uncounted days he'd stationed himself beside you whenever he wasn't prowling around for a snack. He'd awkwardly sit his bony butt on the tile, chittering, bwipping, and purring. You had no idea what he was on about, you didn't exactly speak beeping. It was nice to have something to listen to other than your sobbing echoing through the spacious food court though.

Even better when he'd lean on you when you got almost completely lost in bad thoughts. The most tender moment you'd had in this cold, heartless place was when you were babbling about Noah for the umpteenth time. Rake wrapped his gangly thin arms around your cocooned form and held you in a long embrace. Though the times when he wrote out messages on the ground in his most recent hunt's blood was terrifying to say the least. Rake was trying, bloody messages reading, ' _iT_ _is oK_ _eay', 'i Am heRe fo rr YOu', 'Let i t allll OUt'._ Despite the fact that you hardly knew one another, he'd shown you incredibly sympathy and understanding. _Humanity._

Being a giant hairless cat-dog-man-thing, he got cold pretty quick. For his companionship and kindness, you held the blanket open to share. Sitting pressed up against one another while you whined and babbled become a regular thing. One friend lost to the world, a strange one gained.

Natalie had brought her backpack from her 'room' and threw it on the floor right before you. Rake and you watched her with dull interest as she wandered around the food court, picking up random debris that were mostly the legs of deteriorated tables and chunks of concrete that had chipped themselves off the walls. Coming back around, she began to set up a circle with the uneven bits of concrete. Then, she set the wooden table legs inside of the circle, unzipping her backpack and pulling out a lighter. Soon enough she was pulling a sheet of grated metal from the pack, setting it above the slowly growing campfire. Pouring water bottle after water bottle, sourced straight from the bathroom tap, into a metal pot. Said pot was sat on the table, soon enough to be boiling once the glowing embers matured. 

You'd seen her do this sort of thing a few times before. Keeping quiet at the time because you hadn't felt like engaging with someone like her. Currently though, you'd rather ask questions than continue to stew in your despair.

"How'd you learn to do all that? Also, is that safe?" You purposefully avoided the more obvious question of where she got those things, Natalie definitely wasn't above petty theft.

"Taught myself." Natalie held up her hands, calloused with a few off-color spots. "Did a lot of camping over the years. And yeah, it's fine we're in a big place with a kinda open roof so it shouldn't get too smoky in here. See that?" She pointed toward the chunks on concrete.

You nodded as the flames grew, starting to pop and crackle. Brightly they illuminated Natalie's freckled face, accentuating the contrast between her bright skin and black x's. You still had no idea how those weren't infected. Rake clicked curiously at the fire but he was intelligent enough to not approach it. Aware of it's heated danger.

"Keeps it from spreadin'. 'Case the floor isn't as not-flammable as I think." Natalie hummed, glancing at the pot to see if the water was boiling yet. No dice.

You just hummed, leaning into Rake's boney side and watching the flame grow with milky eyes. The desire to talk was strong but you needed a few moments to collect yourself before speaking once more or you just might reopen the floodgates of tears.

You swallowed a thick lump of mucus before croaking, "So uh-" Vibrant green glanced up from simmering water to meet (e/c), attention unwavering but not with cruel intent. Before she intentionally paid way too much mind to you in order to make your skin crawl but her focus right now was on more of an even ground. Sobered by your shit garbage week to not be an asshole. You hoped this lasted. "Where's Sully?" You'd take a gander that nutcase was still out and about in the front.

"Last I saw, the grumpy asshole was brooding downstairs." Natalie chattered, rooting through her backpack and grabbing something crinkly. "Still gonna make him something." She pulled out an orange package, quickly and unceremoniously tearing the thing open, "Man's gotta eat or some shit. You like this stuff?" Block upon block of ramen was plopped into the newly boiling water.

Rake vigorously nodded with a, "Brrrip!"

You weakly smiled at the creature, "Yeah it's fine." Everything you'd eaten the past few days had been bland and forgettable at least one of you would get some enjoyment out of it.

"Cool, cool." Back in the backpack, her hands pulled out cheap ceramic utensils and bowls. The same you'd eaten out of a few times before, actually cleaned and taken care of. Understandable, they were likely the nicest dishware any of them had besides Jack's stuff. None of you were exactly eager to eat with utensils that had touched intestines.

With one of her knives, she poked at the chair legs absently. You couldn't help but be entranced with the way the fire glowed off the meticulously cleaned metal. You couldn't help that it brought back memories of your and Jeff's reunion. The phantom scent charcoal and seared flesh filled your nose. At this point you'd grown horribly used to the smell of a dead body because half the time Jack smelled like he'd waltzed right out of an autopsy. Not to mention all the corpses you'd been around almost every time Jeff was near. 

Another corpse you'd taken the smell of was _his_. Stuck so hard that blood sprayed onto the ceiling. Pleas for help. Twitching legs.

Stop it, stop it, _stop it!_ Think about anything else but that. You wiggled your fingers and looked back to Natalie, trying to clear your mind.

"Did Jack ever let you know where he was?" You were immensely jealous of their phones, the whole world in their pocket but they almost never checked on it. God, you wish Jack hadn't crushed yours so you could escape the world by playing shitty mobile games.

"Nope!" Natalie popped the p for emphasis, "Got a good idea where he's at though." She snickered, "Not a lot of cases of sudden mass homicide where there's weird black shit everywhere in North Brunswick." That place was pretty close to Rutgers University and a lot of students housed there. You sure hoped that Jack wasn't snacking on any of your peers.

Eating Jeff's brains like a starved zombie probably wasn't Jack's most calculated move. You were just glad he was able to hold himself together enough to not crack your skull open with his teeth. 

"Oh." You didn't want to hear the details so you clammed up.

**_D O O M !_**

Rake reassuringly put his boney head atop yours when you tensed up at the sudden sound accompanied a few seconds later by a flash of white. Jack was an undesirable thought, but you hoped where ever he was, he wasn't out in the cold. Off his Jeff fueled bender and not out to hurt anyone else.

Another awkward lull in conversation brought on thoughts of Noah's body. You attempted to throw them away by hastily staring the chatter back up, "What's the deal?"

"Gonna have to be more specific." Natalie pulled her weapon from the fire and observed it carefully. 

You fidgeted with holes in the knit blanket, "Why are you here with me? You know I won't run, I've got nowhere to go."

Natalie sighed, "Well, fuck me if I don't exactly trust you to not piss off again." Of course, you should have known. You sunk further into Rake at her negative words, they hurt even if you shouldn't care about her opinion of you. "But you've also been though some shit. I'm not gonna let you sit and stir in that. I know how rough it can be going at it alone."

Eyeing her zipper, you wondered once more how she survived being cut open so severely. She followed your gaze, a scarred hand covered her stomach. You suddenly felt like insensitive and invasive, muttering, "I can't imagine that I'm your ideal company." 

"You're not my first choice." Why did it hurt to hear that? "But you're not my last either (Y/n)."

Not exactly friendship, but a mutual acquaintanceship that wasn't the most hateful thing in the world. It'd make the rest of this nightmare a lot smoother. Still, you questioned it, "We hardly know each other. Why?"

Natalie shrugged, setting the bowls in a line, "True, true, but you've got a lotta balls, I respect that." Approval was nice. You found the heavy weight in your chest growing a little lighter.

_Click, clack, click, clack._

You hoped Jane didn't start yelling at Natalie over complimenting you. The couple hadn't talked about their big blow out the entire time. You don't know if they talked in the time before they dragged you out of your apartment or in the times where you blocked out everything. Either way, it was a bit tense between them, but not unbearable. They must have had some sort of understanding that you weren't in on.

Closer and closer she came, you made it a point to watch Natalie pour six bowls of ramen. It was the most you could do in petty realization to Jane after she'd stolen your prized possession from you. The harp sound of heels on tile stopped right beside you. 

"Oh, hey." Natalie greeted, pushing a bowl toward Rake, "Don't break it like last time."

"Raaaaa." Rake grumbled, poking a clawed hand out of the blanket. Just how was he going to eat with hands like _that?_

"Hey." Jane replied, moving something around in her hands that rustled. 

_Fwump!_

Dumbfounded, you stared at the back of your jacket which had be unceremoniously dropped onto your blanketed lap. You didn't pay attention to the bowl that was pushed toward you, you just couldn't look away from the neat stitch work. The back of your bomber had been restored, no longer was it held together by luck and a few threads. (F/c) fabric was now supported and held together by an outside material, thick black thread. 

You let the blanket slide off your shoulders, hastily throwing yourself into the clean article. Jane dragged up a chair to the campfire, long dress kicking dramatically with her dainty steps. Autumn cold was not enough to stamp out her dedication to her femme aesthetic.

"Thanks." Jane accepted the steaming bowl, handling it carefully as to not let anything spill on her fuzzy black overcoat.

After all the reasonable amount of grief that you put her through, you didn't understand. Wasn't she supposed to be only bossy, arrogant, and rude? Jane to you didn't come off as the nice type, but you supposed it was just another attempt to make you feel a but better by one of the people who put you in this predicament in the first place. She wasn't at complete fault truthfully. Jeff was in the mix of your life for far longer, and he was the one who stabbed Noah over and over. No matter the path you went down, forced or not, you'd developed the somber suspicion that Jeff was always meant to come violently back into your life. The man was practically obsessed with you. That's why it made her actions all the more confusing. Jane's distaste for you grew from your bond to Jeff. Even with what he'd done, it didn't change the past. 

"Thank you, but why?" You picked up your own bowl, soft heat radiating through the ceramic.

Orange light shone off of her white mask, softly accentuating it's feminine features, the woman silently deliberating on whether to tell you something or not. Jane had yet to remove her mask to eat, which she'd never done in front of you. What was under there, and why did she feel the need to hide?

"When I was in your position I wished that there was somebody to have my back." Protection from the bad man, care from one deeply traumatized victim to another. Self fulfillment, doing all she could to comfort the person she saw herself in. 

You didn't know what to say to that other than to redundantly rephrase, "Thank you." 

"You're welcome." The flat phrase was sure a step up from _, 'No problem, you're a tool and trapped with me'._

Natalie eyed you a moment but shrugged the gesture off. Unlike Jane, she wasn't as much of the jealous type or one to jump to conclusions.

Jane twisted around in her chair, back to you and mask pushed to the side of her head. Obviously, she didn't want you seeing her face even with the newfound okayness with you. That was fine, your dinner entertainment was watching Rake sloppily spoon noodles into his maw with his spindly fingers. 

"Sad you can't see this, Jay." Natalie mused, watching Rake stick his face in the bowl, messily sloshing around the remaining bits of soup in his attempt to drink it. "Real sight to behold."

"I can hear it and frankly it sounds disgusting." Jane sounded much clearer without the mask on, her voice was smooth, low, _pretty._

Bubbles of yellow-ish soup came up over the bowls rim when he let out a, "Grraaaaa." 

Natalie scoffed, "Live a lil." 

Jane disappointedly sighed, "Watching a dog eat is not living, Natalie." 

"Rake isn't a dog." You spoke for the creature after shoving another fork full of food into your mouth.

"Looks like one." Jane retorted.

The know-it-all in you couldn't help herself, "How many dogs have you seen that are that big, hairless, and have giant claw hands?" 

She was quiet a moment, "Plenty."

You and Natalie shared a look.

"Oh yeah?" Natalie challenged, "Where?"

"At the dog park." Jane simply stated.

"Which dog park?" Natalie playfully pressed before tipping her head back and drinking down the excess soup in her bowl. There was plenty left in the pot for her to have seconds.

_"A_ dog park." She insisted.

"Now I haven't known ya your whole life or anything but babe, I know you'd never go near a dog park. Let alone step foot in one." Natalie teased and you actually found yourself not struggling to hold back a smile. This was as nice as it'd get for you it seemed, a hot meal and decent conversation.

"They're dirty okay! All dogs do is slobber and shed all over the place." Jane crossed one leg over another, quietly admitting, "Okay, _maybe_ I been to a dog park."

"What was that?" Natalie snickered, holding a hand up to her ear, "Didn't catch what'cha said there."

"I am not repeating myself."

"But I didn't actually hear you." You may have not been the best with bullshit detection but even you could tell she was full of it.

"Fine." Jane enunciated loudly, "I've never been to a dog park and I don't think that thing looks like a dog. Happy?"

"Very." Natalie grinned goofily up at her before pushing herself up from the floor. You watched, interest piqued in her sudden bouncy actions as she swiftly pecked a kiss on Jane's out of sight lips. "You're cute when you're all pissy 'n stuff." Nat didn't seem to think that when Jane was really ticked off. It seemed that they were bouncing back pretty quick from their spat. That or they were trying to act like it never happened.

To your surprise, Jane dryly chuckled, "You better think I'm cute."

"I really do," Natalie threw herself back on the floor, "All the time actually." What a total sap. 

You felt awkward while they chitchatted back and forth. Natalie not so subtly flirting with her partner while you were right there. You had enough, "I think Rake's pretty cute."

"Raaa!" Rake happily chirpped, affectionately butting your head.

"You can't be serious." Jane tutted.

Rake hissed at her.

"He's a very handsome fella and he's polite." You valiantly defeated the bloodthirsty thing with a heart of gold.

"Handsome?" You could practically hear Jane's slacked jaw. 

Natalie snickered, "Polite?"

"Rake looks very nice." You reaffirmed your point. The creature wasn't attractive in any way shape or form but you could recognize a well built hunter. Rake wasn't just an apex predator, he was _the_ apex predator. Quick, powerful, intelligent, his body was built to chase and destroy. Yet the thrill of the hunt didn't take over his mind, he enjoyed simple pleasures like gazing at glittery pins or cuddling up by a fire. "And he never makes rude comments." You were pretty sure he was physically incapable of forming a coherent word.

Nat considered your point, "Eeeehhhhh on the looks, but you're right. I'm definitely meaner than that." 

"I won't deny that you're not the nicest-"

"Rude," Even with your trouble picking up on social cues you knew she was joking.

You pretended you didn't hear that. "But he has a name ya'know." You were really starting to sound like Jack when you'd first encountered your companion. "Rake."

Jane hummed and began, "Ah right, well, _Rake_ is-"

_"Shut the fuck up and get ready to fight! We've got company!"_

Your head snapped over to the man who was sprinting into the dim food court. Gun in hand, and stony faced. His arm was moving around just fine so you supposed his shoulder was stitched up by Jack in the hours leading up to his appearance at your apartment. That or he took care of it himself, the guy had survived with horrible injuries on his own for years on end. He must have had an extra firearm because Nina sure as hell squirreled the thing away somewhere after your getaway. 

Panic shot through your veins, the way he spoke, the way he carried himself, Sully was for sure still fronting. He was coming fast, your first thought was that he was going to point the gun in your direction and pop a bullet in your brains, but harm never befell you.

Instead, he skidded to a stop and barked, "Get up already! They're probably in here already." He glanced around the spacious area, plenty of places to enter, plenty of places to hide.

"Lemme guess," Natalie grunted, jumping to her feet and brandishing her weapons, "Those assholes again." 

"Yeah, the shit for brains five." Sully confirmed while Jane snapped her mask back into place. "You." Contemptful green eyes landed directly on your cozy form, "Get ready to defend yourself and wipe that scared look off your face. You're a lot less of a lamb than you think you are." Oddly reassuring to know that the dangerous man thought you were somewhat worth your salt, but it was definitely an underhanded dig at your backstabbing. 

"Alright." Carefully, you unwrapped yourself from the blanket and rose to your feet, no obvious weapons in hand. Skepticism seeped through your inquiry, "But what or who exactly are you guys talking about? I don't see anybody."

"Because they're hiding like a bunch of fuckin' pussies." Sully growled at the shadowy counter tops of a Baskin Robins.

Natalie saw fit to fill you in, "When the big man doesn't want you, it gets it's fucking cronies to take care of the riffraff."

"Cronies?" You thought aloud, Rake shaking off the blanket and standing on his haunches beside you. "Do you mean more people like-" You couldn't say their names, the very idea felt like toxic sludge on your tongue. 

"Yes." Jane confirmed, "Quite a few of them out there." You felt your stomach sink lower, more torn apart friendships, more traumatized victims, more depressing cases of good people wasting away into husks of their former selves. They'd talked about others in passing, but with your new slew of experiences and the fact that they were near, you weren't feeling too hot. "Sully, where did you see them last? Are you sure they could possibly be in here already?" 

"Saw 'em come in from the downstairs entrance when I was trying to get some sleep back at the car." Sully sternly informed, clicking the safety on his pistol off, "Tailed them up the stairs and saw them split off. Came here as soon as I could. Don't know for sure if they're here, but if they aren't right now then they will be."

Hearing Sully talk in a way that wasn't rage filled cursing was jarring to say the least. However, you felt a bit better knowing that one of Liu's more prominent alters wasn't a one note anger machine but instead a functioning person, maybe.

"We should hide (Y/n)." Natalie suggested, already at your side. "They might be here for her too. **He's** probably starting to figure out that burnout boy can't get the job done."

You tensed but you took solace in his words although it made your skin crawl. "But he said that **he** wants me alive so he'll suffer."

"That is true," Jane eyed the empty Subway carefully, "But we don't know that for sure. Intended target or not, those people will probably kill anybody they get their hands on."

Sully scoffed, his head following something you couldn't see, "Are you both braindead? They're already here, there's no point in leaving her alone unless you want her dead." Last time you saw Sully he was screaming about his desire to rip you open, but all of a sudden he'd changed his tune. Strange. 

"Can it, Frankenstein." Natalie grunted but made no moves to stow you away. Agreeing, but her general distaste towards Liu and his alters seeping to the forefront of her tone. "We at least have to move to a safer area. Ya'know, one where she's not out in the open when one of them literally has a-"

**_B A N G !_**

You practically jumped out of your skin at the hair-raising crack. Eyes darting around to try and find the source, but untrained and inexperienced with a shootout, you couldn't quite tell where the person was. What you could decipher was that the threat of others was very real.

Natalie wheezed, feeling at the barely damaged top her hood, "Close shave! Good thing you're a shit shot." You'd beg to differ, guns were supposedly hard as all hell to aim, and a shot that close to her cranium was _way_ too close for comfort. 

It was then you caught onto the figure that Sully had been eyeing. Too dark to tell the details, but the person darted from behind one fallen table to another, maliciously coming closer without trying to be noticed. 

"Come on Teddy Bear!" Natalie sneered, bouncing on one foot to the next, "Hit me with your best shot!"

**_B A N G !_**

You flinched at another shot, checking immediately on Nat to see if she'd been domed. 

The woman snickered, thumb wiping off a bloody streak on her cheek. "How about you get up close 'n personal with me, yeah? Maybe you won't miss at point blank!" There it was again, the movement behind tables and this time you didn't just see one person but three. "Or are you just gonna keep hiding like the spineless pussy that you are?" Now, you weren't wickedly street smart or anything, but you were pretty sure those people weren't the shooter or shooters. It struck you that it could have been well possible that the shots were a diversion. But why not just end the target right there? Why go the extra mile? Out of boredom or was it more of a calculated pincer?

Freezing up and letting things happen only brought you pain. The entire situation just reminded you of that horrible night, rage crawled right under your skin and fear ran cold though your veins. _People like Jeff, huh?_ To further **his** design, to take out the people who could end the man you felt disappointed and violated by, that was inexcusable. 

Fighting wasn't your area of expertise, there was no way you were going to run at those who slithered in the dark. Instead, you opened your mouth, "Jane, there's three of them over there!" You pointed at a table, seeing the obvious outline of some dimwit's foot. 

_**B A N G !**_

You gasped, feeling something hotly whizz right by your ear. Teddy Bear or whoever that was didn't exactly like you pointing out their buddies. Rake was already alert from the first round fired, but since that one missed you by a hairs length, he was even more at attention. Sniffing at the air, standing at his towering full height to your right, hopefully blocking off their line of sight on you. But what about him?

"Ay!" Natalie snapped, "I'm the one ya want remember, pea brain?"

"Show yourselves!" Jane demanded the hiders, "Or I'll come over there."

For just a moment nobody moved. Then, as if it was a planned move, three figures popped up from behind the table. Imposing silhouettes, one launching themselves quietly over the barrier. Barreling toward the lot of you, wielding something that was a bit odd. A pitchfork? What the hell were they going to do? Angrily point it at you while you burn at the stake? Well, these people proved themselves to be basically the fucking Avengers, you wouldn't be entirely surprised if you were to be impaled on it's spikes.

**_D O O M !_**

Thunder flashed through the food court once more. You got a passing glimpse at the sack-head coming right at you. A crazy buff guy, only in candy red booty shorts and donning a cute yet ominous heart-eyed teddy bear head was right behind them. Was that the person Nat was referring to? You swore that he hadn't shot at you. Mister washboard abs could be twinning with the shooter for all you knew. The third was coming as well, calmly walking in pursuit of the mad dasher. That flat headed animal mask she wore bore searing holes into your chest as she came closer. Footsteps shaking the earth in a diluted version of Jack's stomping steps. If there was anybody in this room that you didn't want to get close to, it was her. 

When she held a hand over her shoulder, beckoning, teddy bear head guy started to follow suit. Wind rushing passed you accompanied by the smell of body odor, his running form kicked up all sorts of thoughts.

When the light faded, absolute hell broke loose. Rake screeched, lunging toward the open entrance to _Teddy's Pizza._ Jane tensed up, readying herself to sink her teeth into one of them. All the while, Natalie taunted the newly revealed challengers, "Can at least one of you _actually_ fight me?"

**THUD!**

Jumping out of your skin, your eyes quickly landed on the source. A baseball bat that cracked an old table nearly in half. An extension of the hand of the newest threat.

_"I CAN CRUCIFY IF YOU WANT THAT SO BADLY!"_ The voice was bone chilling and way too close for comfort, even worse that it was eardrum burstingly loud. In all the chaos, the edgy band, crop top wearing, she-devil slithered her way into your camp. Stereotypical horns popped up from the top of her red mask, thick black lines drawing out a cheerfully cute smile directed at Natalie. For a stupid second, you wondered how someone so fashionable could end up on this path. Then you saw her knee length jorts. She wasn't just evil, she was sick in the head but not in an understandable, valid way. More like a bad Hollywood depiction of mental illness, screaming in a padded room wearing a straight jacket, kind of way. 

"Shit!" Natalie shouted, just starting to leap back.

Alarmed, but not allowing yourself to be rooted down by terror and the ache in your shoulder, you bolted out of the charging bull's path. Avidly avoiding the direction of red. Sully quickly took your place, steadily aiming.

"Go to hell, you fucking yeehaw!"

_**B A N G !**_

Not currently caught up in the madness, able to protect you from the big bad wolves, you ran to her: Jane. But while you did, you didn't look away from the scene. For the second time that week you saw somebody die. Sack-head's forward momentum kept her slacked body going few feet more before she collided with the floor. Face down, brown burlap forced open and bubbling out dark red. Shining vibrantly in the firelight just like Noah's had with the reflection of the paused TV. Vomit ripped up your throat but lost its momentum right before it entered the back of your mouth. Giving you just the taste of bile on your tongue and acidic scent in your nostrils without the mess.

_"Edna!"_ The bear of a man roared at the loss. Apparent rage tugged harshly at your heartstrings. You knew that anger, that dread, loss. You wished he'd just stayed quiet so the death felt less personable, so he felt like less of a human and more of a monster. 

"Shit! Fuck!" Two separate voiced shouted, Natalie dodging a swing from a baseball bat and a new figure was flung from behind the counter top of Teddy's Pizza. Rake spat out a torn shred of the flying blur's pant leg accompanied by a few spray chunks of flesh. 

You hid yourself behind Jane, using her frame to keep the corpse out of your sight. Just a second you needed to keep your eyes off a dead body. All you saw in her was Noah even if their body types and manner of dress were completely different. You hadn't exactly seen many soulless husks in your day.

Sully may have taken out one of them, but there were still four left.

_"NO POINT FIGHTING IT, JUDGEMENT AS ALREADY BEEN PASSED!"_ Red mask screeched at Natalie. Accompanying her obnoxious proclamation was a wind whistling swing of her bat. A swing that Natalie hardly avoided. 

On the other hand, the imposing woman in dark clothes was almost right on top of Sully by the time he was ready to shoot again. Akin to Jack, her stride was brisk, and somehow terrifyingly quick, yet it was quieter. Right behind her was the dude who was somehow fine being so bare in this cold, about to round the last table before he was in the cleared out ring where your little campsite was.

"You wanna try me?" The alter barked, jamming the pistol right between the eyes of the mask of what you thought was some sort of badger. 

**_CRASH!_**

Your attention was being thrown all over the place. This time it was taken to the table that bear man stopped before because the flying blur had finally crashed landed.

"Oooh, fuck me." The second teddy bear headed attacker grumbled from the pile of broken wood that used to be a table. 

"You okay?" Shirtless knelt down to his comrade, cautiously going to pick her up from the mess. Whatever gun she'd had on her was gone, ripped from her hand while traveling via Rake fucking throwing her like a rag doll out of her hiding spot.

Just a second of the devil woman's attention off of Natalie was all it took for the woman to have a solid opening. "TEDDY AR- _ACK!"_ Stumbling back was the rabid screecher, one of Natalie's knives had been shoved in the very center of her right palm. The appendage was shaking, useless, broken. Her knuckles grew white with her vice-like grip on the bat. Swinging power drastically downplayed, but she wasn't out of the race yet. Far from it, she was back to her vicious swinging at Natalie. So quick that the butch couldn't get within a few feet of her without getting her skull cracked open. Gutturally screeching, a wrathful roar ripped from the very depths of her lungs, " _STILL YOURSELF, SO I CAN MAIM THE NEXT, AND THE NEXT, AND THEN DELIVERANCE!"_

Broken record, repeating images, words, the sight of that knife stuck in his palm. Screamed pleas for help. No savior. Only animalistic hate with emotional overtones. 

Jane made her choice. Natalie mattered more to her, but she knew Nat could handle herself. Also, Sully was totally out of his element. The large woman had him by the wrist and the neck. Holding his hand out of the way while he fired shot after useless shot, struggling to overpower her while gasping for air.

"Let him go!" She threw herself toward the two just as Rake made his reentrence, pouncing toward bear head one and two. 

"Don't worry about me, I'm- _Shit! Look out!"_ Teddy rolled herself off the ruins, scrambling on her hands and knees away from the incoming predator. 

The whole, having incredibly similar masks thing, made it a bit tough for Rake to differentiate the pair. One had nearly killed you, but the other probably would if he got his paws on you. Either way, a kill was a win-win. 

The big guy didn't get out of the way fast enough, so his hot bod was on the chopping block. More literally, he was slammed onto the floor with a shout. Claw after claw impaled into him, taloned feet dug into his thighs, attacker hunched over on top of him.

_"Are you okay?!"_ The writhing mass of flesh called to his comrade.

Teddy readjusted her mask, black and blonde hair spilling out it's back. "I'm fine! I got y-" She staggered to her feet, shakily balling her fists. What the hell was she going to try to do? Punch Rake? Girl power and all that, but there was no way she could take seven and a half feet of pure predator. 

"Down! Now!" Jane barked at the woman, skidding to a stop at her side. Not being the boss of her, she didn't heed to command and in fact reeled back a leg to attempt to kick her away. Jane wouldn't have any of that, she forced her eight inches of metal straight into the woman's thigh. Digging deep, but she wasn't done yet. 

"You suck at this!" Natalie taunted while carefully keeping her distance. 

_"FUCKING DIE, USELESS MEAT SACK!"_ Swing, swing, whiff, whiff. 

Natalie just laughed, "Says the meat puppet!"

All the while, the man growled, shaking as the claws tore through him. "It's tooooh late phor mmhe! -Elp fee ofers!" Shaky and slurred, his lungs had to be flooding with his own blood. 

At the same time, huge lady's balance was faltering. Quick as a whip, Jane yanked her blade from the lean muscle, taking a weakened kick to the knees like a champ.

" _FUCKER!"_ Sully kept up his struggle, gargling out something else that was probably an insult or legitimate death threat. 

"But, you're fucking-" Teddy hesitated. You were no doctor but even you could see he was right at deaths door.

In his horribly human last moments, he let out a selfless request, growling it out like a real grizzly. "GO!"

Just like that, his shout was reduced to nothing but a choked garble when Rake sunk his teeth into his throat. Red man meat was jerked from the almost grossly muscular neck. Number two, another death you watched happen right before your eyes.

As much as you wanted things to slow down, they didn't.

"Shithead!" Sully wheezily barked, the hand's grip loosened around his throat due to Jane's assistance of stabbing his attacker twice in the side. The altercation wasn't said and done yet, the massive woman was still standing and keeping the pistol aimed away from her cranium. She'd opted to release Sully's neck, getting stabbed once more by Jane with a shudder. Almost inaudible was her breathy snarl, fat hand snatching Jane's wrist. Though the weapons had been restrained, her two assaulter's had plenty of limbs to kick and claw at her with.

Teddy sprung herself into action, making a split second decision with just a moment of observation of the world's shittiest battlefield. Two versus one was awfully unfair, but instead of evening the odds for her teammate, she barreled toward Nat. 

In the midst of all the death and knockdown drag-out fighting, you stood still. You'd told yourself that you'd do something but here you were again, indulging in sinful sloth. Stuck in an internal debate, on the crux of crossing the line into territory where maybe you'd be evil too. If you weren't already, you'd let Noah die. Sure, it was rational to have self preservation and all, but how morally just was it? Running again was an option, let them all rip each others throats open and die on dirty tile.

Two things stopped you. Firstly, what happened last time. You could escape again, run out into the rainy roads and wave somebody down. Inevitability would find you and death would follow, not your own but everybody you encountered. Cursed with a posse who'd track you to the ends of the earth, all for one purpose. The purpose that was reason number two. Jeff had to pay in full for his sins. Before you were well aware of everything that he'd done, but you hadn't gotten a real taste of what it felt like to be the receiving end of such a betrayal, of such scorn. Nowhere to run, no one to run to, two piles of rot with ever smiling faces out there to be taken down. 

"Let go, you fucking brainless twit!" Jane snapped, an obvious overtone of bone crushing agony in her voice.

_**CRUNCH!**_

Rake ate a lot of small things, obvious in that he was skinny as a bean pole. Guess he found a proper meal and wasn't going to stop gluttonously digging in until he had his fill. Even man-dog-things got a little airheaded sometimes, totally forgetting about the chaos.

"I got'cha, Bru! Hey loser!" 

Natalie was starting to run out her speedy steam. Exhaustion catching up to her in the form of not being able to dodge the incoming sucker punch drilled into her side. As well as a leg hooked behind her knee, jerking her back on a collision course toward the floor.

You made up your mind. 

"Nat?!" Jane cried, still working on yanking her wrist from the woman's iron grasp. 

"Pay attention!" Sully sharply reminded, simultaneously delivering an adrenaline fueled kick to big lady's knee.

It'd be considered by many to be a cowardly sucker punch, but to you finding an opportunity against a distracted opponent was the best option. Bodily harm could come to you and it probably would. But you couldn't forgive yourself in your past rationality, not fighting harder to save Noah. You had the chance to violently start your self redemption, and oh man, were you were going to fucking take it.

Victoriously, the wicked women shared a friendly hip bump. Satiated by her buddy by her side, Bru wistfully sighed and ceased her vicious swinging. Taking the steps to tower over Nat, Teddy right behind her watching the woman try to dazedly scramble to her feet. _"NOT SO TOUGH NOW, ARE YOU MEPHISTOPHELES!?"_

A greater evil than she, a biblical being fallen from grace. Kicked out of Jesus's cool kid club, an outcast deemed abominable. Rejected just as Natalie, digging her claws onto an oppositional purpose. 

"You do know that's not my name right?" Ego wounded, Nat attempted to get a conversation edge, "So, you look really dumb right now."

Sully and Jane had brought the brute to her knees. Surely she was done for, but she still struggled and fought. You hadn't the time to wait around for them to do the dirty work. You were closer anyways and you weren't sure how much longer the girls would taunt the clock-eyed bastard.

Teddy snickered, "We know who you are, dumbass. You know that we know, stop playing braindead before I make you braindead."

Was Jeff still regrowing his brain? Did Jack eat him whole, crunching away at every bone and sucking out every drop of marrow? What if Noah's corpse was next? Please no. If Jack had any sense, any mercy in him, he'd leave the body for the coroners.

What was even closer to you was something that was your most viable option of a weapon. Cast iron held onto the remnants of dinner, boiling yellow filled with overcooked noodles. Quick and quiet as possible, you crept toward it, mentally preparing yourself for first degree burns. 

You wished, hoped, yearned for Bru to stop screaming every single one of her words but that didn't happen, the devil screeching, " _THE_ _WANNABE MARTYR, THE THREE DUMB FUCKING KINGS, THE MISCREATION, THE FRESH MEAT, WE KNOW, WE KNOW, WE KNOW!"_

Questioning the titles given to you wasn't in your weirdly heroic job description. What was, would be grabbing the hot metal handle with both hands and holding in a hiss. Moving your non-dominant arm hurt like a bitch, but you gritted your teeth and persevered. One foot slamming in front of the other, eyes trained on the prize, her back turned to you. Natalie's attention switched over to you, her savior wasn't a high femme in even higher heels, but instead some jackass about to waste a whole lot of food. Her dimples made an appearance as she smiled at you. 

"You got something wrong, Red." Natalie sneered while you skidded to a stop, reeling back the sloshing pot. "We don't got fresh meat, we got a brand spankin' new ass kicker!"

Tears stung the corners of your eyelids, fiery heat burning your palms and fingers. Not for long, you flung the entire thing toward the turned back of Teddy, closer, back wide open and ditzily not yet turning her attention to you like Bru was. In movies, food fights always looks so goofy but this was going to really hurt. 

Teddy scoffed, "That's the same fuckin' th- _FUCK!"_ Forward she stumbled at the unexpected scorching soup that exploded on her upper back. Heavy metal following suit, slamming into her spine, sending her toward a rising and ready Natalie.

_"NO!"_ Through the layers of feral hate and sadism was obvious fear. Down came the bat from her left palm, opting to shoot out to try and pull her teammate out of the blade's path. 

_"NO!"_ One of the women was fast enough, one was too slow, Teddy's throat was cleanly slashed open before she hit the floor, Natalie still grinning at you as blood spurted onto her face. _"NO!"_ Bru's hand brushed passed the back of her friends shirt, unable to save her or even catch her to allow her at least a little dignity in death. _"NO!"_ Instead, her plush snout cushioned the face first fall, dark red flooding out of her throat in dull beats.Coughing sobs of sorrow joined in with her constant screaming. _"ANA!"_

There goes number three. Guess that was her real name. Again you realized with a jolt that _these were people._ They had wants and desires, people they called home. You just aided in a home demolition.

_Happy, you hypocrite?_

You felt vile but you felt for once like you could take control of your horrible situation. Violence wasn't the answer in most situations, but this one called for it. As much as you didn't like hurting people, it was cathartic to bring harm to those you associated in your head as people on Jeff's side. Absolutely disgusting. You and them.

"Finally!" Jane grunted, catching your attention as a screeched wail played beside you. Her voice a siren call in the middle of a dangerous storm. The not-so-gentle giant was brought to her knees, Jane's knife buried in her bicep.

Weakened by stab wounds, exhaustion from trying to fight to angry and stubborn gays, she could no longer keep her hold on Sully's wrist. In an instant, the barrel of his gun was jammed before the fake teeth of the badger mask. _"Eat led, bitch!"_

_**B A N G !** _

Red chunks like the ones that had splattered wetly onto your back sprayed from the back of her head. Four. 

_"YOU!"_

You were only allowed a split second to vividly imagine Jack's jello-like meal. Uneven fingernails dug into the sides of your throat, your head was forced to turn and look at her. She was only human but it didn't feel like it with the way her left hand tightly began to crush your poor neck. You could practically feel the aching pain coming from her lungs hearing the shrill shriek of pure malice. 

Your throbbing hands shot up to her wrist, fingers digging into and twisting her skin. Scuffed sneakers desperately kicked at her shins but not a thing you did affected her in the slightest. You hadn't even dealt the final blow to her bud. Guess you started it, she was saving Natalie for last. 

"Hah! Always wanted to do this!" You heard Natalie cackle, taking way to long to come and help when you knew damn well she still had a knife on her.

"Shit! (Y/n)!" Jane called, heels slamming against the floor. 

Natalie popped up behind the woman just as she was about to attempt to jam her knife impaled palm into your gut. "Ayyy batta batta, _swing!"_

You got a front row seat to the big game, Natalie smashing some random woman in the head with her own baseball bat. She gravely grunted, grip ripped off your flesh but she only staggered a few feet away. What the fuck was she made of, concrete? You heard the sickening crack of her skull, you knew Natalie was strong as hell. Her brain had to be swelling, bleeding, or both. Still, she stood, flesh rattling. Rage exiting it's vessel.

_"ANA! YOU- ARRGH- YOU- ANA! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!"_

Her wrath was turned onto a grinning Natalie, splattered with the blood of her friend. Either she was losing steam, likely from the head trauma or her vocal cords were starting to scratchily give out because at long last, her screaming and crying wavered in volume. No plan on her scrambled mind, she blindly ran at Nat.

When she laughed at the girl, you felt sick and afraid of her. Sure, you didn't laugh and grin but throwing that pot at Teddy felt better than god awful. How much room did you have to judge for the woman showing how much of a good time she was having?

"Strike two!" Another crack that you winced at, but you couldn't look away from. Nor did you shake off the fingers that rested gently on your shoulder, attempting to comfort you through a transformation.

Back the beast fell, catching herself just hardly on the edge of a table. Bru's knees buckled beneath her but she held herself together. Still keeping up that banshee screech just barely, vocal cords ripped apart, her screaming was starting to stall like a pathetically sputtering engine.

_"You- Pay for what you- you- Ana."_ An astute reaper to a babbling mess. What a descent. It eerily reminded you of someone.

Just let go, fall, be still. Bru refused to fall as long as she had a shred of consciousness and mobility. Miraculously, she pushed herself off the tables edge. Dazedly jogging in an off kilter zigzag at Natalie. She was just hardly upright, nearly tripping up every other step. Natalie wound the bat back in anticipation once more, looking to get a home run. It was hard to watch but all of you were in this together now, three spectators not stopping the batter. There was no looking the other way from your problems. 

Natalie shot a glance over her shoulder at you and Jane. She cheerily smiled and laughed, "This one's for the ladies in the crowd tonight." You couldn't tell if she blinked or winked. She turned back around, pivoting on her dominate foot and whooped, " _Yooooooou're out!"_

Bru headed straight for the floor.Not even trying to hold out her arms to break her fall. Her mask loudly cracked against the tile. Body twitching and shutting down, she fought to try and crawl toward the cooling corpse. Almost inaudibly, she croaked, " _Ana?"_

Still. Five. 

Evil against evil was an ugly thing but at the end of the day, one came out on top: the dubiously lesser evil.

Natalie let the bat clatter the ground, it sounded quiet after all that siren wailing. "Whelp!" Casually, she smeared blood on her jeans, "That was _interesting."_ She glanced up at you for approval of her playing around. You blinked blankly, shaking, heart pulsating heavy in the confined of your rib cage. "Definitely a change of pace. Did I ever tell you guys that I used to play softball?" Nat tested the waters with her chattering, kneeling by the body and collecting her precious blade. "Shit, I'm a walking sterotype-"

"Natalie." Jane coolly spoke. The butch snapped her head over to her partner, face immediately falling before straightening up. Finally reading the room.

"Right. She's still new to these _little visits."_

Sully grumbled, "Fucking roaches." 

A distraction, someone to project that idea that you're still a good person onto. Dryly, you peeled your tongue off the roof of your mouth and parted your chapped lips. "I'm sorry ab-"

"Shut the fuck up." He snapped over constant white noise of torrential rain and rolling thunder. Verdant green pierced into your flesh, judgement.

His dull jacket was clean of brown staining. Instead of throwing a fit, he stayed back and cleaned himself up. Rabies was the first thing you thought when you were first reunited with the alter but he was starting to prove to be more of a teenage white boy with anger issues on Xbox live. 

Knobby fingers patted his chest, "Your apology does jackshit for us. Especially when I know you aren't." 

_Clocked._

All Sully did was scare you, chase you, and overwhelm you. Nothing he'd done warranted you apologizing to him, even if he got shot because of you. 

You swallowed back pleasant lies. Dryly, you muttered and looked away from his intense stare, "I'm not sorry."

"That's more like it." He grunted while Jane slid her hand off of you, going to retrieve something. "(Y/n), never fucking lower yourself to apologize to a rotten bastard like me ever again." 

Where did that come from? You wanted to ask but the shuttering of the food court door being forced open, drew your attention.

**THUMP. SKRRRCH. THUMP. SKRRRCH.**

Irritatingly, Jack's boots squealed against the tile. You only saw his lumbering silhouette but there was nobody else who could shake the earth like that. 

"Shit!" Natalie marveled, picking up Teddy's corpse and lugging it over her shoulders. "Look what the cat dragged in." You furrowed your brows at the action but you watched Sully and Jane quietly bicker. The two hard heads trying to coordinating picking up badger face.

Jack didn't reply, only letting out deeply ragged, shuddering breaths. Closer and closer, he came into the firelight. You found that he looked more than just worse for wear. His classic trench coat was soaked, brown hair flat and sticking to his forehead. Leather worn and torn, buckles undone or ripped off to reveal a sliver of blue-gray flesh, his chest. You didn't pay much attention to that, more so the black shimmering substance that caked around his mouth, covering his cheeks, chin, and even the very bottom of his nose. Overpowering was the pungent scent sulfur on a humid day right after rain.

You could have occupied yourself with asking what that was, where he'd been, what he'd done, but there was a much bigger, horrible, oddity at hand. On either one of his shoulders limply rested two familiar evils. Jeffery Woods and Nina the backstabber. 

If Jack was fucked up, they were double fucked. Jeff's head was back but his chest was way too flat, hoodie shining wetly in the light. Nina didn't immediately banter triumphantly at you, she was quiet. Scarred skin was twisted and pulled, her head spun around backwards. Guess the man could go absolutely ape shit but still keep his metaphorical eye on the prize.

Hate. Hate. Hate. Losses of many kinds. Vomit churning heavy in your stomach. 

Jack stopped before he entered your body ridden camp. Deeply grunting, he let the limp bodies roll off of his shoulders. Large hands hung tiredly at his side as either one of them slapped onto the floor and a table respectively. 

"Where have you been?" Jane demanded, the trio starting to approach him holding bodies of their own for some reason or another.

"Yeah asshat. Also, mind helpin'? Got a lotta bodies to take care of right about now." Nat requested, carrying the body on her shoulders with no problem.

"Chrrrit?" Rake perked up from the mess of meat, fat chunks and strings of flesh dribbled messily from his maw as he tilted his head.

Jack raised his head in his direction but did no more than that. Instead of properly greeting the room and providing them with an explanation, he looked down at you. "Did you learn your lesson?"

Your chest clenched painfully, you ground your teeth together. Was is anger, disgust, terror, or loss that was bringing the hot tears to streak down your cheeks? You did, really and truly. But you didn't exactly appreciate the lack of sympathy, the callous question that was practically rubbing your sorrow in your face. Your mouth opened.

Jack didn't give a shit about whatever you had to say, speaking flatly, "I'm going to shower. You know what to do." With that, he whipped around and stomped out of the firelight. Surely on a straight path the to the bathrooms, and after that a most likely well needed power nap. 

Natalie huffed, "What died and crawled up his ass?"

"Don't know. Ignore him. We have to get them out of there before they get back up." Holy shit. They were like Jeff. They were fine! Actually, not really. Still, they weren't _dead dead._ You weren't _that_ bad but then so were they. "Really don't want a repeat of the first time, people. Let's move."

Natalie sighed, "Yeah, yeah."

"Put your money where your mouth is, carry your weight." Sully grumpily jabbed, sounding rather raspy while he stuffed his pistol back into it's holster. 

"I already am."

Though it was a slight aimed at Jane, you couldn't help but let his words resonate with you.

Strong, a fighter, the wearer of the Jersey Devil, a member of the Jeff ending task force. A deer in the headlights was something you'd only be sometimes. For now though, you'd take advantage of your ability to move. A few feet away was Bru, she looked like you could at least awkwardly drag her to wherever they were going. 

"Oh hey, look at you." Natalie commented as you lifted the limp body by it's armpits. You could make out distinct dents in her skull even through her messy hair. You continued to hold onto your dinner. 

"You don't have to do that." Jane uncharacteristically suggested, "I know that this is a lot."

Your frown ran deep, "I know." Even with shaking legs you found the strength to start to follow them toward the doors. "But I have to."

"You-" The leader lady began.

"Let her." Sully firmly urged. 

Appreciative, you stiffly shared a look with the man. Mutually you understood the feeling. Also, you hadn't the words to express yourself and you were trying not to vomit.

At long last, you'd reluctantly accepted your place on the team.


	27. 26 - Piss and Vinegar

Rain pelted down mercilessly, making the journey to the van so much more miserable. Though the cold water was almost relaxing on your heated skin, it quickly grew to be less than pleasant. Anything would feel pretty awful if you were dragging a fresh corpse through a parking lot. You tried to look on the bright side, but even that was dark. At least it was washing the fresh blood off your clothes. Instead weighing the fabric down, once warm articles damply clung to your skin. Even worse, it made Bru harder to lug along.

Through the journey, her head lulled limply side to side. Water pooled in the indents of her skull, filling up quick and spilling out diluted streams of blood. More than once her mask nearly slipped off her face, already knocked loose from the lethal battery. Every time you made sure to look away and blindly readjust the covering's strap. You couldn't bring yourself to see the animal unmasked, because you knew there was a human underneath. A human who's jaw was sure to be slacked, gaze glassy and walleyed. She'd get back up, but the face of sin you'd contributed to making would break you down even more than you already were. 

Jane, Nat, and you all had to wait in the rain holding the bodies, because Sully forgot his keys inside. Also shouting something about getting something to cover up the mattress and floor because Liu and Ezekiel wouldn't like blood in the van. Your jaw stayed locked tight, you were afraid if you unclenched it for even a moment, a stream of projectile vomit would spew past your lips.

Jane gave Sully quite an earful when he returned. He didn't give a rat's ass. Making all of you wait a few more minutes while he laid down the same blanket Jane had lent you. She would have fought him over it at the time, but she was supporting all that woman's weight by herself and picking her up again would be a total bitch. Sully told her where she could stick her complaints, he was just borrowing it and it could be washed. Jane was in a huff after that.

All her complaining made going back into the mall to pick up as many pieces of ground human meat as possible a little less awful. It felt like you were all trying to carry as many groceries as possible just so the number of trips could be whittled down. So much of Mister Huge Tits had been consumed that it only took the four of you two trips. Each time you were asked if you were sure, each time you'd nod and try not to think too much about the sudden wet weight in your arms. You tried not to breathe in the scent as much as humanly possible, keeping your eyes off bare and bloody skin that you held onto. It's just wet swim trunks covered in mud, you told yourself, it's not half an ass-cheek. It's not.

Sully sped out of the parking lot to drop the cadavers off. He didn't say where he was going or how long he'd be gone. Just that they shouldn't be a problem for awhile. 

Jane and Natalie took care of Jeff and Nina respectively. Muttering insults to the virtually lifeless bodies while tying them to chairs. You only glanced at them when you couldn't resist the urge to look. People say that a picture can say a thousand words, seeing Jeff deflated, defeated, and bloody said a lot of things to you. Mixed messages. Some sad for your loss. Some viciously angry. All the same, looking and him and Nina stung that distinct pain of betrayal.

You could feel it so acutely, cotton sticking slimily to your skin. Despite the power wash you were sure there was blood still sitting in the fabric, slathering itself on you without being fully seen. Immediately after you and the girls got inside, you raggedly asked for some dry clothes and a turn in the shower. A mutual consensus that wearing water logged clothes sucked. Quietly, you followed them to their living spaces. You did not turn your head to investigate whatever that slurping sound was when you were passing through the food court, you had a pretty good idea already. 

The atmosphere outside of the showers wasn't nearly as thick as it'd been _that_ night. Mere traces of it's former self. Appeased but still pissed. You all stood out of the way when the sound of stomping started up. Door hinges screeched and the outside doorknob slammed against the wall. A mass of gray and black turned its wide body while ducking to shuffle through the door. 

If there was one thing Jack had, it was a wardrobe. You'd no idea where he kept all of his clothing or where he slept at all. Did he sleep? That was beside the point, because he came out of that bathroom looking a lot better than expected. A speckled gray faux fur coat, unzipped and ending around his mid thigh was the first thing you noticed. Then there was the plain button up underneath, a leather harness just casually thrown over it. Again you wondered where he kept this shit, wearing ankle boots of which you'd never seen on him. Real kicker was, his outfit was great, but he couldn't have looked more miserable. 

"How ya feelin' shithead?" Natalie casually drawled as he stomped by, not once making his usually effort to 'look' at any of you. He didn't even reply other than a grunt. Up the stairs he went, disappearing quickly from view. "Damn, okay."

Questionably sourced shower water was so much better than the rain. For one, the pressure wasn't trying to blast your skin off and it wasn't colder than a witch's tit. Washing yourself off was fast and easy enough. Guilt, shame, fear, and your memories didn't circle down the drain no matter how long you stood there waiting to see the impossible happen. By the time you got out, the pruniness on your fingertips ran down your digits in fleshy waves.

Natalie's clothes hung off you loosely as you rung out your jacket. Gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, you looked like a depressed blob or a socially awkward highschooler. Same thing actually. Life back then was rough but a lot more simple. Going back in time wasn't something you desired in the slightest. Being a teenager sucked but even worse would be having to grow up again, having to watch Jeff kill Noah again. Wasn't like you had to worry about that, time travel wasn't possible.

"You sure took your sweet time." Natalie commented, watching you waddle out of the bathrooms, holding your borrowed clothes at an arms length. 

"Yup." You dryly replied, approaching where they'd laid out their out hand washed and soaked clothes to dry. You set Jane's dress down carefully, keeping your jacket hanging from your balled fist. Autopilot drove you to turning to face them and ask, "What now?" 

"We go back up." Jane sighed, pushing damp hairs back. Outfit a dark gray form fitting dress, she looked great but also kind of like a sock. "Ask Jack what he thinks he's doing and why he suddenly thinks he's in charge." The snappy response made you almost fear for the man.

Natalie snickered, shoving her hands into her pullover pockets, "Ooh, somebody's in trouble." Thankfully it wasn't you. A smile almost made it's way onto your lips with the thought but you almost immediately thought about Noah's. Warm and kind. 

"Yes." Jane firmly played along, "Someone is." 

Crying was a perfectly normal thing to do, especially when in mourning process but _holy shit,_ you didn't want to cry again. Bloodshot and itchy, your eyes felt crustier than the floor they were set on. Wherever Noah was, you were sure he wouldn't mind if you refrained from wailing for a hot second. 

Soon enough you dragged your feet into the food court. Only then you took your eyes off the ground, sure that you'd see coagulating stains. The food court was still very much a mess, campfire messily stamped out, pot and backpacking laying abandoned on the ground, that one table was absolutely decimated. Off to the far right, illuminated by what you thought was the sunrise, was Jack. Back to you, fakely facing the unmoving bodies, daring them to wake up and try to struggle. 

"Hey Jackass!" Natalie shouted, sauntering over but not without sending a glance over her shoulder to check if you were still following. A split second smile, sympathy leading her to let you in on the joke. Nat honestly felt like an older brother in a made for TV movie, rough around the edges, total asshole. When it came down to it, if someone in her crew or family was hurting, she'd do her dastardly best to make them feel a little bit better. It was nice-ish but also sad that this was the only company you had left. 

"Hey!" She repeated herself. Arriving at the table beside him before you and Jane. "Hey!"

"Shut up." Jack lowly grumbled. 

"Ah! He speaks." Nat joked, throwing herself into a chair and kicking out the seat across from her out for Jane. A second later another with pushed out, although with a lot less forceful flair. 

"Shut up." He drably repeated himself while you rounded the table. Expectations of seeing blood all over the place were high, but not a drop was in sight. What was in view was Rake's bony butt, his knobby tail twitching. 

"No." The conversation continued on while you leaned to the side to get a better view as just exactly Rake was doing. "What the fuck is that?"

"I'm blind. Specify." 

Jane scoffed, pulling out her chair, "We know that you can see just fine."

"Yes but she's not pointing at anything." Jack flatly argued. Finally in your sights, you found that Rake was lapping at the floor. The tiles were already dusty and dirt caked in some areas before but you were pretty sure that brown gunk wasn't innocent filth. At this point, the thought that Rake went around cleaning up the mess the roomba way, hardly shocked you. What it did do was intrigue you. Reprieve you from all the doom and gloom for a second.

A second of interest that was ripped away by the kick up of petty arguing, "I'm looking right at it! You know what I'm talking about."

You stepped into your seat beside Jane and saw what all the commotion was about. Jack's face was gray, it always was, but it was lighter gray. Moist, and uneven, smeared around his face messily. Over top it the black ooze continued as always, picking up some of the gray and dragging it down. "Use your words." 

Jane scoffed, "He's wearing a face mask Natalie." He wasn't wearing it earlier if your memory served correctly. _Cosmic Catastrophe_ read the white text atop the container sitting by his hand. 

"Oooh." Before you had time to blink she tried to poke the still drying substance.

Scaly black whipped up from behind him and slapped her grubby mitt before it got anywhere near his face. "Don't even." 

"Hurtful." She whined, recoiling and rubbing at the red back of her hand.

The single phrase reminded you of something, someone, behind you. Jeff was still slumped over in his chair, limbs tied to individual parts of the chair in thick layers. Moldy rope wouldn't hold that vile thing back very long and they had to have known that. Better be temporary because you really didn't enjoy the idea of him getting closer, touching you, wafting his sickly humid breath across your face. Just looking at him made your skin viciously crawl but having your back turned to him seemed also pretty bad.

"Anyway." Gently, a foot kicked into yours. _Watch me be rude to Jack, don't look at him._ You hesitantly obliged with the implied request, tensely waiting for the ungentle giant to get his for being pointedly shitty. "What do you think your doing, bringing that gangrenous waste of air here?"

"Yeah! This wasn't part of the plan!" Natalie mindlessly seconded.

"Firstly, quiet down. I'm very sure that I am hung over." There was a soft rustling when he leaned onto his forearms. Even when hunched over, Jack was still taller than all of you. 

"Really? Saw the news, when did you drink in between all _that?"_ Natalie marveled.

Jack lifted a hand, pointing just over your shoulder. "His BAC was incredibly high and I don't remember how much of him I had."

Once more, Jane scoffed, "You've practically been on vacation for a week. Out of all of us, you should be the most well rested, _Jack."_

"If you define vacation as slaughtering an amount of people you do not remember, vomiting them up, and trying to keep two brainless meat sacks on a leash then you have had a sorry life, _Jane."_

Natalie snorted before she suddenly jerked, Jane's hand slapping her shoulder in a way that definitely did not hurt, "Ow! Jane! You're so mean."

"Don't encourage him." 

"Quiet. I won't repeat myself again." You didn't like the way his voice dipped in tone. He wasn't lying. Wait a second. Gut rearranging threats rushed back into your consciousness and you found yourself pushing your chair back a few inches. You hoped that he forgot about his promises and that you wouldn't be alone with him any time soon. So far he'd hardly acknowledged you after his nasty comment. Best to keep it that way.

What was it before she opened her fat mouth, a second, two? "Is that why you're wearing that?" Natalie made a point to jut a finger at him but also respect his wishes, lowering her voice a good few decibels.

"Eating greasy food is bad for your skin." How much of Jeff's disgustingly moist, limp hair had he stomached?

Tired of all the needless chitchat, Jane spat rigidly, "Speaking of grease, answer the question. Why are they here?" 

"Your impromptu kidnapping of the annoying brat went well, if it hadn't been for _this one,"_ You couldn't help but shrink into your seat when he made the point to 'look' at you. "We wouldn't be here right now."

Tapping her toe impatiently on the tile, Jane dryly demanded, "Explain." 

"She could not be removed with my presence excepted with _outside_ help." Venom dripped off his tongues like the oozing liquid spilling down his cheeks.

You fidgeted with the damp fabric you rested between your spread legs. Fingers finding the Jersey Devil, quickly recoiling away from it like it was red hot. It reminded you of Jack and even with him sitting right across from you, you didn't want to take comfort in something he breathed new life into.

"Now, I'm vaguely aware of my limits, but it may be possible that he can be around as well and not be removed by **him**. It's all on (Y/n) really." Jack stated matter-of-factly. "Without her, she wouldn't have gotten out, found the greasy one, and went to the first place that we'd check. Not to mention, taking care in teaching _that one_ a lesson." Black sockets were pointed directly at you while he sneered out the words, pointedly rubbing salt in your wounds.

(S/c) fists balled and for an uncharacteristic moment, you imagined punching him right in the face. That night backfired horribly in your face, that much was true, but to know that Jack saw it as fortunate for the team made you want to vomit. Specifically, right on his drying mask, he didn't deserve nice skin. 

The girls stared at him a moment. Jane, baffled, struggled with her words, "I- You- It makes sense, I'll admit but-"

"Save it. I don't care about your personal opinion of me." 

"Touuuchy!" Nat glanced at you for a reaction. 

Change was hard to process, to accept. If you were being honest with yourself, you were still reeling at Noah's death. Opinion of Jeff one-eightying in just a few minutes, the girls having your back because of sick solidarity, finding a growing sense of hopelessness and belonging, it was so much change at once. That look Nat gave you, it was almost reminiscent of teachers being overly nice to you because you were autistic. You didn't know if Natalie knew the first thing about autism, but it was the sadness she was in you. Sympathy from a homicidal manic. How you'd fallen from mundane grace.

Your lips curled back and you bared your unimpressive set of humane teeth at the monster. "This entire time, you guys could have just grabbed the two of them and kept them here. I'm not needed here at fucking all, but here I am. With you _horrible_ people. _"_

Natalie grimaced, "Eeeehhh."

"Watch it." Jane advised, taking on a less patient tone the very second you challenged her.

"No. Answer me. Tell me that my life's been uprooted for no reason at all." You firmly insisted, very aware of how bad a position you were in. Stage two of five. Denial to anger. 

"What happened happened, it led to a change of thinking that led to this. The firing process should be a lot quicker now that **he** can't remove them from the premises." It was like he hadn't heard you at all and was just continuing to answer Jane's inquiry.

"Why didn't you just think of this earlier?" Ideas didn't work like that, sometimes the mind was forgetful and flippant and you knew it. But you wanted to believe that it wasn't true, that they were just completely malicious to the bone. That way it'd make existence here a lot easier, the less conflicting feelings and more raw hatred, the better. 

"Just didn't." Jack shrugged your emotions off, the way you felt didn't mean shit to him. High and mighty was he, without need for approval and acceptance from others. Nat and Jane had their troubles to at least somewhat explain their shittiness to you. Jack was an unknown and was keeping things that way intentionally, he wanted to come off as horribly as he could. If that was the case, he was doing a great job.

_Don't throw the jacket at him. He'll just tear it apart and leave you unsatisfied with your little tantrum._

"Can I go?" You asked tiredly, knowing that if they were done with you, you'd be dead already.

Jack almost smiled, "No."

Jane chimed in, "We still need you." You couldn't tell if that was supposed to be reassuring or not. "We always have."

"Yea, some shit about emotions and stuff that loosen **his** grip." Natalie solidified ideas you already knew but wanted to forget.

You were sure it'd get you a vague answer at best, but you still tried, "How can you be so sure?" 

"'Cuz Jack said so!" She jutted a thumb at the unamused monster-man. 

You turned your attention to Jack, carefully pushing his buttons, "How can _you_ be so sure?"

Silence. At least for a minute before he dryly claimed, "Because I've lived it."

"And what exactly is 'it'?" What was more irritating, the fact that you were unable to read between the lines or that he was withholding so much information?

"Getting fired." Jack stated plainly as if there wasn't the implication that getting fired was some sort of miraculous feat.

You nodded, taking the statement at face value to be mulled over later. Tired, you were so tired of thinking about your problems, the losses and stressors caused by the traitors behind you. The end was what your entire life was forced into achieving, you wanted to know what your misery would achieve for the world other than satisfaction for three hollow bastards.

"What's the point?" Their pointed attention at your pessimistic tone made your skin crawl, lighting a fire under your ass to specify, "Of getting him fired, of killing him. Don't get me wrong here, I get why he deserves it and I think he should die too." Saying it out loud dreadfully solidified the idea in your mind. All you could do was keep moving forward, so you kept talking, "But is there anything more?" You felt almost greedy for wanting more of a reward, not of money but of gratification.

"He gets what he deserves." Traces of sympathy were picked up from Jane's tone, her hand momentarily on your shoulder. "He doesn't hurt anybody else. People like us aren't made from his actions anymore."

"Jack said it awhile back ya airhead, all that proxy shit stops." Natalie boldly claimed.

"Like the people last night?" You looked down to your fidgeting hands, remembering who they held only an hour before. 

"Yep." She said while you glossed your thumb over mothman. That looked to be the best case scenario, no more people running around killing for a thing you knew next to nothing about. 

"It's not that simple." Terrified as you were of Jack at the moment, you couldn't help but look in his general direction. 

Jane sighed, restlessly tapping her fingers along the table, "If only."

Please don't have extra steps. You don't know how much of this bullshit you could take. "How so?" 

Jack considered telling you a moment before caving, "Firstly, firing is a long and grueling process to go though."

The woman next to him snorted, "Mine was quick 'n dirty."

He shook his head, "You weren't fired. You were rejected."

"Same shit."

Jack grumbled out the information, "Not really. Potential proxies get rejected all the time but once you're taken up, getting out is extremely difficult. It takes a lot of factors, stressors, some sort of goal or leverage over **his** power. Honestly, there's no exact science to it, but going off what happened to me and other accounts of those who've escaped; this is the best course of action." 

Jane sharply tapped a gloved nail onto the table, catching everybody's attention, "Getting off track."

"Not exactly since we seem to have somebody here who has a problem retaining information." He glanced at you and a wave of intense fear surged though your body. His gaze seemed to say, " _Don't you remember what we talked about? Downstairs, with you against a locker?"_

"Heeey!" Natalie whined, "Not my fault that I've got ADHD."

He didn't care to correct her, keeping the threat between the two of you. "Anyways, it's hard. Hard enough to deter most of **his** underlings to stop trying after a few years." Just like that he was back to informatively answering your question.

"However, the greasy one is _the_ de fecto proxy, top of the food chain if you will. If he is killed and left to be found and identified quickly, it'll be quite the news story for the press and proxies. There's smaller cases like mine and that group up in Michigan but those didn't make big enough waves. Shows them that no one is exempt from the possibility of escape. They'll study it, fight back, find things and people to hold onto." Jack hardly talked this much, guess he was passionate about the whole thing. "Few years down the line, people are going to understand how to get away better. It's a domino affect really. Completely destroys **his** system. Jeff dies, so does **he**."

"Huh," Natalie rapped her knuckles restlessly on the table, "You really did your homework."

"I've been preparing for this for years. _Of course_ I know what I'm talking about." The man tutted, casually revealing another silver of his background.

"You really are like, the real deal. " Natalie boasted, last you checked she hated the guy. What was with that? "Aren't 'cha you fat fuck?"

"All I am is a firebrand." Jack astutely claimed.

She snickered at this, "Whhhooooaaa, fuckin' big brain over here, using his big boys words."

"At least I graduated high school." 

Natalie clicked her tongue, "Fuck off."

Uncharacteristically, Jane hadn't chimed in for some time but soon enough she broke that silent streak. "You never told us how exactly you managed to pull that off. Care to explain?"

"I have actually." Jack shifted in his seat.

Jane was not detoured from her nosy line of questioning, "Obviously, then we wouldn't know how to generally go about things, but you never went into specifics." 

The man drummed his clawed nails on the table in thought. His deliberation didn't last very long, "There's no need to. My past does not concern you."

"Aww, come on!" You could have sworn that Natalie was trying to bat her eyelashes at him, "We're your friends-"

"Colleagues." He corrected.

Natalie rolled her eye and scoffed, "Tu te fous de ma gueule, non?" 

"Pas du tout." Words came out clunkily, vowels not pronounced with the same tact as Natalie's had. 

"Somebody's rusty." She pointedly jabbed before getting back on track, "Seriously though, we're all you got for company. Shouldn't hide shit from us. Bad for uuh- Shit, guys help me here, what's the word for like, a group's whole ass mood?" 

Jane and you unanimously answered, "Morale." 

Natalie snapped, "Yeah! Bad for morale when we can't trust each other."

Lost was one of many words you could have used to describe just how you were feeling. "Wait," You interrupted, brows furrowed and fingers fidgeting, "You actually care about that kind of thing? And I thought that you hated him." Almost instantly, you regretted asking. Not because there was any clear, immediate consequence but because you shouldn't have cared to question it in the first place. Your only explanation to your rationality was that you might as well take part in conversations that you had to be a part of. 

She snorted at the very ideas, "Where did you get the idea that I didn't?"

"You're rude to most of the," You made air quotes, "Team. Also, you constantly call him a fat ass."

"In a fun way!" 

"What?" 

"I'm an asshole but I'm funny, so that makes up for it." She confidently proclaimed, "And yeah, I call him a fat ass simply because his ass is fat. It's a compliment."

You didn't know what exactly to say to that other than, "Uhhh yeah. You do you, I guess." 

"Really though," Natalie leaned onto her elbows toward the man, "You're gonna call me a fuckin' colleague after all the stuff we've been through?"

"I told you then and I'll tell you know, I don't do friends." There was a bitter coldness to the statement, an attempt to emotionally shove people away.

Undeterred, she kept on pushing, "Sure acted like we were."

"I will say," Jane jumped on the bandwagon, "Saving somebody's life like that and living together does sound like something friends would do."

This whole conversation just became more and more confusing, like a maze of ideas you hadn't the context of. Didn't help when Jack never actually emoted other than frowning.

The man scoffed and crossed his arms, "I'd hardly call lugging around somebody who was half dead around for six months, and staying in abandoned buildings, living."

Softly, she kicked his much large foot under the table, "You liked having my delirious ass around."

"No, I didn't." He insisted.

"Yes, you did. And also!" She sharply snapped once more, "Even if you didn't, you still literally saved my life and nursed me back to health. That's some real compassionate shit, dude."

Gray lips curled back, thick brows were knit, it seemed that the word to leave a sour taste in his mouth. "Operating on you for two days straight was not an act of kindness."

"Question," Jane chimed in, "Do you hear yourself speak sometimes?"

"The only reason I picked her up out of that ditch was because I knew what happened to her. Could smell **his** influence on her still. Honestly, I thought she was one of them and not a reject," He made a point to face Natalie's intense stare, "I was going to keep you together enough to get information about **him** out of you. Turns out-"

"That I'm a total airhead and I was hallucinating and completely incoherent for a long ass time. Yeah, I know." 

Despite his attempts to stay impartial and monotone, he chuckled softly, "Basically."

Jane hummed, crossing one leg over the other, "See? Was that so hard to tell us about yourself?"

His voice hardened again, adamantly, he denied it, "I was talking about her, not me" 

"I don't know what happened between the two of you but, whatever did, it was a relationship." Your inner know-it-all couldn't let this stand, "And that relationship had you in it. You are talking about yourself." Purposefully, you shrugged and grimaced to soften the blow of your assumed rudeness. 

If Jack had eyes, he would have been glaring at you. Eyes or not, you shrunk under the implication of his gaze. "No one asked you."

"But she's right." Jane's agreeance softened the blow of his icy tone.

He pursed his lips, uncrossing his arms, holding up a hand to count out Natalie's offenses on thick fingers. "She was loud, annoying, messy, needy, and still is. We were not friends."

The woman in question grinned, mimicking his counting, "And you were a lot quieter and depressing. Ya had shitty emo boy hair too. You also couldn't speak French for shit! I remember the first time you even tried it!" Grinning, she took a second to laugh at the memory, recalling in an admittedly bad impression of his voice. _"Seat whose plate."_

Softly wheezing, Jane brought a cashmere glove up to her mask's smiling lips, "What was he trying to say?"

"S'il vous plaît, if you please. Was actually trying to be nice about asking me to not move around when he was changing my bandages. What a fuckin' sweetheart." She jutted a thumb toward the brain eater with a grin. 

"Never call me that ever again." Social cues were tough but it didn't go over your head that he was threatening her.

The whole exchange was intriguing to say the very least, but it couldn't hold you undivided attention. Especially when a wet squelching and clicking cracks were playing out from behind you. Over your shoulder, you found two bodies moving unnaturally. Jeff's neck limply swayed and shoulders jerked while his torso writhed and seemed to inflate like a bounce house. Nina's neck was still strained, stretched but you could see the forced folds of her neck slowly moving counterclockwise. Completely unconscious while an outside force breathed life back into them.

"Just speakin' the truth." Natalie's voice reeled your head back over your shoulder, that and the sickness that spun round your gut. "Not to mention that you wore that dumb mask almost all the time. Admit it, being around people, mostly me, is good for you."

Instead of immediately responding, he pulled a little rag out of his massive coat's pocket. "I don't see how that's any better."

Natalie stared at him wide eyed, stiches stretching with her slacked jaw, "You're lying right thought your fucking teeth right now." He didn't reply, lightly dabbing the dried substance off his sharp cheekbones. "God! You're such a shithead, you know that?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Seeming disinterested in having an earnest conversation, he focused on wiping off his brow. 

Red rage crossed over Natalie's face, her lips sucking into a hard line and nostrils flaring. Yet she did not yell, respecting his hang over she dryly snapped, "I feel bad for you. Even after you abandoned me."

"You didn't need me around anymore, you could fend for yourself." Matter-a-factly he brushed her emotions off his shoulder like they were nothing more than a gnat.

"I _did_ need you." The familiar sheen of tears welling up on lower lids caught your eye, but they did not fall. Blinked back aggressively while she snarled, "After what _he_ did?" She glanced just over your shoulder, toward the body making those horrible sounds. "I needed somebody in my life more than ever. Not to mention those fucking teenagers wouldn't piss off for more than a week at a time." You recalled Natalie's prickliness with her title, especially with Jack. You think you could see why she wanted to be called a name that distanced herself as a person. Even though she appeared to like the guy, it wasn't surprising that she was upset over the ordeal.

Face clean of the mask, Jack neatly folded the dirty side of the rag inward. Speaking only once the thing and the little container were back in his pocket. "My presence was just a crutch for you." 

"One that I liked having around. Didn't have to leave without warning like that." 

You rubbed one sneaker atop the other, watching the argument go down while trying not to freak out. Ears over focusing on the ticking clock, the arguing, the sounds of bodily unharm. Not to mention how mentally you were burnt out, this wasn't helping your mood in the slightest. 

"I told you the night before that our paths would cross again when the time was right."

"And I thought you were just talking out your ass about the next life! Didn't think I'd wake up to find you nowhere in sight!" Her words grew sharper, more pointed, yet the message was that of an open hand. Attachment. Exasperated, emotional, but she kept on pushing, "Just admit that we were friends and what you did was shitty."

Jack sighed, hard exterior chipped away just enough for him to admit, "It was. I should have left a note. But," He hesitated a second, "We weren't complete strangers." 

"Hah! You admit it!" All of a sudden, Natalie was refueled by the power of friendship.

"Not really." Jack grunted, idly fidgeting with some of his jacket's fluff, "Keep the volume down." 

"Way to act like it's not a big deal." Jane teased. Was she also friends with him or acquaintances or not strangers? 

"It's not. She met you soon after if my memory serves correct. My leaving didn't matter because she immediately found somebody else who grew _much_ closer to her." Callously, he picked apart past events and laid them out in vague timeline for you.

"Okay firstly, don't talk about me like I'm not right next to you." The woman in question grunted, running a hand through her faux hawk, "You also sound super jealous that I found a friend who wasn't you!"

_"Friend?"_ Jane sounded almost insulted.

Natalie turned to her, eye full of domestic terror, "Not like that! I just meant someone who I connected to on a super deep level 'n all that mushy shit, babe!" 

You didn't know if you could take hearing another blow out from them, the second hand emotional exhaustion would sap the rest of your mental strength. Not to mention, the auditory overload. Your fingers started to twitch and flex, ready to shove themselves into your ears at a moments notice. It'd probably look weird or dumb to them but god, you could not fucking take much more of this.

Luckily, Jane was content with her reply, "You better." Hopefully, that was a teasing joke instead a sharp jab. Hard to tell with her flat delivery.

He ignored their squabble in order to make himself perfectly clear, "I am not jealous." 

"Sounds like something a jealous person would say, I'm just sayin'." Natalie snickered.

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"Enough of that." Jane snapped, lightly stomping to heel of her boot to the floor. As always, Natalie listened to the woman's direction while Jack just seemed to be glad that the annoying pestering was over. Except he wasn't out of the hot seat just yet. "Jack, why don't you indulge us. What's your story?" Intrigued with her own question, Jane leaned forward to hear the juicy details. 

Almost smiling, Jack shook his head, "One thing at a time." 

"Might as well to make up for being such a dickhead." Natalie not so lightly punched him in the side. It didn't affect him at all. Wait a second.

"No." 

"Wait," You chimed in, earning their undivided attention, "What happened to you?" A (s/c) pointed to what you really meant, his chest, rising and falling without any hiccup. Still alive and in almost perfect health. If being gray could be called being healthy.

"Bold of you to ask, especially when you let her shoot me." Jack leaned himself forward ever so slightly, coming over the table. Though he wasn't right overhead it felt like he was, presence overwhelming.

Jane's nosiness must have rubbed off on you or maybe Nat's blind yet charming persistence, "Go me? Ahaha." Didn't mean that you weren't shaking in your sneakers. "Sooo, what's the deal?"

"Yeah Jack, what's the deal?" Natalie sneered, hopping on the next questioning bandwagon. Practically jonesing to give the guy a friendly-ish hard time.

Unrelenting from his intimating position, Jack lowly droned, "I bled until I didn't."

"That's rather unenlightening." It was nice that in a way, Jane was on your side in this. "Isn't it girls?"

Her inclusion of you felt odd, like when somebody called your their friend for the very first time. Except this was different, she was trying to make you feel supported in the face of danger. At least you thought that was a possibility, it also confused you because before you'd been the catalyst of an argument. She also could have felt obligated to try and make your time in the mall a little less shitty now that you were trauma twinsies. You couldn't get a good read on her at all.

"I'll say." Natalie smirked, leaning her cheek onto a palm.

Jack's nonexistent gaze consumed you, he was not looking at you, he was sensing your entire presence. Aware of every little fidget, taking in your nervous body language that you were so used to hiding. One thing he could tell for sure without you needing to say it was that you were petrified of him. The fact that he leaned just an inch closer with the ghost of a frown on his lips only intimidated you more and he knew it. 

But you weren't alone and that felt empowering. By yourself he had no one to tell him to stop other than his own conscience but with the girls, there were two very loud and brash devils on his shoulders to keep him somewhat in line. 

You were not deterred from curtly nodding and voicing your agreeance, "Yep."

'I don't do friends' Jack relented under social pressure, "I'm like them in some ways. It's complicated." Maybe he did care more about his bonds with his allies more than he let on.

Reading all those shady articles on illegal news sites must have not been enough gossip and speculation for Jane because she kept on pressing. "You can do better than that."

Jack backed off, sliding himself away from Jane and her invasive questions. "That's enough for now." And that sounded pretty final to you.

The conversation didn't just fizzle out like that. It just kept on going while you started to tune it out, zoning out with your gaze fixated on your lap. Unable to fully escape away into the recesses of your mind with the near constant ache in your shoulder. Restlessly, you bounced your leg to try and relieve some of your anxieties about the people in front of and behind you. About the idea that with their influence you were starting to rot from the inside out too. 

Shake, shake, shake.

Suddenly a sharp throbbing sensation pulsated under your skin. Ripped out of your thoughts with a yelp, you shoved your seat back and nearly tipped the entire thing to the floor. Leaning over the table with his arm outstretched was Jack, brows knit and lips pursed. 

"Thought I saw something odd." Reeling back into his chair, he commented, "What happened?"

At first you completely sealed your lips shut, if he could rearrange your guts then he could probably amputate your arm. But he could also fix the slightly off kilter joint.

"Dislocated. I was-" Bitterness spread over your tongue, you could remember pathetically peeling yourself from the floor. "-Thrown into a wall." The light of the TV softly illuminating your worst nightmare as you shook and plead, arm useless after trying to best something you could never. "Natalie tried to fix it."

"I don't have a medical degree," Natalie shrugged carelessly, "But I tried."

"Why didn't you call me? You wouldn't have known if she had internal bleeding or not." While he nagged, the man pushed himself out of his chair. You felt your stomach drop.

"Uhh, I did! You were kinda busy." She sneered, bring back the idea of having a phone. Which led into a train of thought which stops were, calling Noah before you saw Jack for the first time, the fact that you'd never be able to call him again.

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

"Oops."

Jack was drawing near, you wanted to appear as unafraid of him as possible which in itself was a feat. Whilst also trying not to break down for the fifty-seventh time. You scooted away in the chair, even considering the idea of full on running away from him but that only got the idea of him piercing your flesh with one of those horrible scaly things. Reeling your screaming self back in, watching you fruitlessly struggle. You'd pass. So, you just looked really uncomfortable and stiff.

The second he reached his hand out for you, you blurted, "My organs are very fine and not bleeding. There is no need to cut me open." Way to go, you sounded like you were going to piss your pants! He definitely knew what your mind was on now. Not good. Fix it! "Ahahahaha." The chuckle was akin to that of a bleating goat. Awkward, stuttered, and it only made you feel worse.

"Hm," Consideration crossed his face much to your dismay, "I might just have to check, now that you mention it."

Closer his imposing hand grew, coming to whisk you away into the depths of the mall. Until Jane's much small hand snatched his wrist, "Stop trying to scare her." Waves of hair fell onto your shoulders, the woman leaning protectively over you. "She's been though enough." How long would this kinship with her last? When would she go back to seeing you as nothing but a pawn and an extension of Jeff?

"If anything, you should cut me open and check out my kidneys. That little shithead got me good." Clockwork, the sadistic serial killer with a disregard for most human life, tried to shake Jack off the idea of tormenting you. Even she could have mercy sometimes.

"I'm not going to do anything." You weren't too sure if you believed that. "Other than fix what you couldn't." 

Jane released his hand which had been so close that you could feel a comfortable warmth radiating off it. Tensions didn't simmer even when she backed off to let him do what he needed to. Some solace was taken in the fact that she'd hopefully lunge forward again if he got too rough with you.

"Don't squirm." Claws just barely grazed over tender skin, his fingers wrapping around the collar of your shirt. For a second you thought you'd had to protest him to taking the thing off but instead he just tugged it out of the way. Incidentally dragging your head toward him just a tad, fabric stretched all the way to your upper arm. Bare knuckles grazed over your skin as he released your shirt, they weren't sickly hot as you'd think they'd be. Actually, skin to skin, when he wasn't trying to manhandle you, was nice. 

Then he pressed the pads of his fingers onto the dark bruise. An achy agony had you hissing, twitching away from his oddly pleasant touch. He hummed, "Not as bad as it could be."

"What do you mean?" You asked cautiously.

"You're not screaming." He said as you ground your teeth together when he grabbed your shoulder firmly. No warning, but you knew it was coming and it was probably going to hurt. 

The pop that came from the inside of you came with an intense agony. You couldn't hold in the ragged cry that ripped up from the bottom of your lungs, eerily close to the tone of the desperate and dying Bru. Was it her self destructive despair or the anguish that throbbed from your shoulder that brought that familiar sting in your eyes back?

It felt appropriate to let out the strained comment, "Now I am."

Natalie snickered, you felt a sense of achievement that made the reeling pain a little less horrible. 

Jack ignored the quip, "Try not to move it around for awhile."

"How long's awhile?" You hoped you wouldn't have to be put in another dire situation where you had to move and strain the thing. For your physical and mental health. 

"When I say so." With the brief and mildly concerning response out of the way, he returned back to his seat.

Lips sucked themselves toward your teeth, your fingers clutched desperately onto the fabric of your jacket. Internally begging it to somehow stop all the pain, the shortness of breath that came with your fear of Jack, the way your ears were starting to tingle because of the constant noise. You could handle it, you told yourself, but boy oh boy, did it fucking suck. You wanted to pull on your hair, claw your fingernails into the table, scream, run around in circles, lay on the floor sleep, but you sat still. Overwhelmed by choice and frozen by an unspoken obligation to not act out.

"Be right back." Jane suddenly scooched herself out of her chair, turning tail toward one of the exits. "I'm going to get you some anti-inflammatories. Since _somebody_ is acting like they don't exist." 

She was too nice now. It was better than before, but you still were having a hard time wrapping your head around it. She definitely needed some medication for herself as well, that hulking woman had to have done a number on her gloved wrist. 

"I never said they didn't. I just didn't offer her any." The way he said it almost made it seem like it was a joke to him.

All Natalie had to contribute to the conversation was lowly whistling at Jane's disappearing form. 

"Too soon." Jane called back over her shoulder. 

Disappointed but not surprised, Natalie huffed. "Still in the doghouse."

You had quite a few questions when it came to their relationship though they probably wouldn't be seen as normal to ask. Intrusive when you were just genuinely curious and couldn't quite tell when you'd be able to acceptably jump through that social hurdle. There's always just straight up asking and not giving a shit if they thought you weird or not but in a way, you cared but in another way, you wanted to get over your social anxiety.

Before you could make any choices, one of the doors slammed open. In walked in a shadowy figure, just barely illuminated by what little natural light broke through the clouds. 

"What the hell are you doing?" The way he carried out his words in a demanding growl pointed to the idea that Sully was still fronting. 

"Well, well," Natalie drawled, shoulders noticeably tensing, "Look who finally turned back up."

Sully snapped his umbrella shut, shaking splatters of water off of it's folds. "Talk to me or anyone in my system again and I'll fill you with holes."

She clawed at the air with a, "Meow!" Guess he didn't take onomatopoeia as talking because he made no moves for his gun.

Sully walked between the two twitching and shifting bodies, giving them both a once over. "Why aren't they separated? And they need to be restrained with something better than this." He eyed the rotting ropes that even you could wiggle out of on your own. "Too late to change them now without sedating them." The duo were involuntarily groaning as their bodies fixed themselves. Disgustingly enough, Sully was right, their corpses would be fully reanimated any minute now.

"Give me a few minutes, I'm tired." Jack waved off Sully's valid criticisms like the duo wasn't a well oiled murder machine.

At this Sully dared to put his hand on his holster, stalking over to the table. Tension settled heavy on your shoulders though Jack looked completely unbothered. "Are you fucking brainless or stupid?" He dropped the dampened umbrella onto the table with a wet thump, only adding up onto your overstimulated stress.

"I'm tired." 

"Hi tired, I'm Natalie." The woman snorted, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Only smiling when Sully gave her a nasty look. "Chill, I'm gonna call Jane to get all that shit."

Sully took his hand off the holster, "I'm not shooting you only because you're somewhat useful and you're," He turned his attention back to Jack, "Just a waste of ammo."

"I could literally rip you in half. You understand that, right?" Jack casually threw the reminder out there like it was as normal as talking about the weather. "You should really show me some respect after I put you back together." That wasn't a request, it was a demand from a higher power.

Jack might as well have smacked Sully upside the head because the look of murderous intent that crossed over his face sent off alarm bells like crazy. "Back together? _Back together?!_ _I was fine and I can take perfect care of myself."_

"Saved you the trouble of giving yourself stitches." 

"Let me get one thing fucking straight." Sully planted his palms harshly onto the table, leaning himself over the table and not acting like looking up at the other man was demeaning. "I don't need help from any of you, for anything, _ever."_

Jack's brows perked up and a smile twitched on the corners of his lips, "Do you you realize the dramatic irony of what you just said or do you not hear yourself talk?" He borrowed Jane's own insult shamelessly now that she wasn't here.

Sully threw himself over the table, the wood creaking and wobbling with the dramatic gesture. His hands snatched balls of fur from Jack's jacket, tugging at his collar without actually moving the behemoth. "You goddamn-"

_"Guys, shut the fuck up!"_ Natalie sharply hissed, cutting momentarily though the tension with a much sweeter, "Hey babe."

As Natalie began to explain what the group needed, Sully stayed in place. Jack appeared somewhat amused about the all too easy achievement of getting under the other man's skin. Trigger happy as he was, Sully had enough critical thinking to back off, releasing the collar of his shirt and sliding off of the table with a huff.

But like the hateful thing that Sully was, he made sure that everyone got the message that he hadn't gone soft, submitting to basic kindness. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm in a good mood." 

Jack opened his maw to retort but Natalie cut through their petty exchange, "Do we even have other restraints?"

He didn't continue to give Sully the time of day the second he got an excuse to disrespect him, "Yes, in my room."

Natalie relayed the information before saying, "Give her a sec she's still walking."

Back and forth the one-sided end of your awareness of the phone call went. You were able to fade into your own consciousness but it wasn't much better than quietly sitting in reality. Noah's face plagued your mind, morbid curiosity twisting and contorting the familiar image into what he must have looked like in his final moments. You'd never get to see the result of the agony that knowing you had caused, it was nice to not know but it still ate away at you. It was silly to feel bad about but you hadn't been able to rewatch the same two hour analysis videos on Bigfoot and the culture of hunting the creature, and that really weighed down on your spirits. You missed being able to carelessly scroll though your phone and eye wonderful art pieces from the depths of artists minds, realistic and cartoony renderings of your favorite monsters. 

Consciousness was bubbling up in the rotten bodies behind you. They incoherently babbled, testing out their motor functions like they were walking around the shoe store when testing out a new pair, clunky, awkward, yet with the familiarity of an action done many times before. As much as you wanted to drown out their existence from your conscious, you could no longer cling onto the clouds your head had been stuck in.

Coming back to the world to Natalie's voice, "Where are they?" 

"In my closet." Jack boredly informed. How were they so unbothered by the waking dead? Where was the hurry in their voices? 

"You mean the trunk thing?" She questioned, idly swaying in her seat.

"Yeah, at the bottom. Should be under my hoodies."

A grin cracked it's way across Natalie's face, "You still have those?" 

"Yep." 

She chortled, stiches twitching in a way that your dulled mind wasn't viscerally disgusted by. "Ol' times sake, huh?"

"Yep." 

Nat was undeterred by his dry responses, "Are you try'na play off how shit your fashion sense used to be?"

"Look who's talking." He blandly pointed out.

"Not saying it was bad it was just _different."_ She huffed, holding up a hand in mock surrender while Jane's voice incoherently droned from the other end. "She wants to know which one to use and also, why the fuck do you have so much rope?"

"Use the black one. Red's too expensive to use on those _things."_ Gray fingers pointed toward the creatures behind you. 

All of you collectively glanced confusedly at him. "You can't see color?" Natalie voiced the group's collective question.

"Doesn't matter how I know, just tell her to not use the red." 

Natalie told the woman, eyeing Jack and repeating herself, "So, are you going to tell us why you have so much _or?"_

"None of your business."

The call ended promptly when Jane acquired the sturdy bindings in question. Leaving the conversation to fizzle out, allowing the gargling to take auditory center stage. You couldn't escape Jeff no matter what you did. Grow up thinking he was dead, avoiding yet failing in trying to sympathize, those affected by him hunting you down, following you to the ends of the earth all for him. All so you'd do what they wanted, free him.

Liu and his system though, they had different plans for you, that only made everything worse. What were they even expecting you to do now? Magically forgive Jeff for his violent transgressions? Fall in love with someone who's version of love was wickedly twisted and vile? Why did they think that was a good outcome? Why did they hate you so?

Words bubbled up from your throat before you even thought them fully out, "I don't love him. I never will." Irritated eyes strained to lead your gaze up to Sully's. People always made such a point that eye contact equaled truth, so despite the discomfort you rested your sights upon half-lidded green.

Sully slowly blinked, shoulders tensing shakily before they fell limp. Anger didn't light his face up a bright red, manipulative strings of words didn't spill from his parted lips, didn't scream, didn't cry, he just let out a deep sigh. "I know. If I were you, I wouldn't love him either." There it was again, that unexpected soft underbelly, so different from his harsh and violent exterior. 

He seemed a little more approachable than when he was rolled up in a blanket, screeching out threats. You weren't exactly comfortable, choosing words light enough to not crunch the eggshells, "But what about everything else you've said to me?" The rabidly desperate screeches barked at you in the van didn't make him seem like he was that truly on your side.

"I never said that I take everything back." Sully sharply snapped out of his lapse in cutting words, "Just know that I get being pressured by Zeke and Liu about kissing Jeff's ass." Still, he was far from screaming and waving a gun around and you could appreciate his no bullshit approach of talking to you when he wasn't set off. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm not your friend."

You averted your eyes from his face which had grown sour all too quick. Must have shown clear as day that your opinion of him was twitching toward a more positive one. 

Nina groaned out the most coherent syllables she had yet, "Heeeeey." Immediately, you had a visceral gut reaction to throw up. Rage boiling hot in your stomach, disgust toward the woman who should be dead but unfairly was allowed to keep on living. Disappointment in yourself that you trusted her for even a second. 

Fists balled and heels dug into the floor while you coaxed yourself to not look at the vile woman. You didn't want to see her, especially that victorious grin.

Your eardrums twitched with sound of her shrilly screeching for attention, "Hhhiiiiiiiii!" 

Jack lowly grumbled, pads of his fingers twitching to cover up his ears, "Shut up."

He should have kept his weakness to himself because the very second that Nina noticed that he was annoyed, things got a hell of a lot worse for all of you. _"HHIIIII!"_ She sounded utterly worn, ratted, like her neck had been twisted three times around and her head spun back round like an automatic sprinkler. 

_"Shut up."_

" _NO! FUCK YOU, POSER!"_

Jack scoffed, _"I'm_ a poser?"

_"YES!"_

You were reaching your limits, self control was hastily ripping open a window to jump out of. 

" _HEY!"_

"Shut the fuck up." Sully snapped, following suit with Jack and slapping his hands over his ears. 

" _HEEEEY!"_

"Hey! Shut your trap." Natalie joined the bandwagon, just adding onto all the noise.

" _HEEEEEEEEEEEE-"_

That's it. You shot to your feet, chair irritatingly screeching out from behind you. Disgusted as you were with the sight of her, you whipped all the way around and met her eyes, a new bright blue contact sitting over natural brown. Satisfaction in her bruised neck and oddly back leaning teeth did not satiate your need to just scream. Absolutely fueled by all sorts of fury, you bellowed the words from the very depths of your chest.

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The pitch mis-matched chorus between you and Jeff finally got her to cease her nonstop assault on all of your ears.

You both couldn't help but meet one another's eyes, bloodshot on bloodshot. An emotionally charged spark tore though your very body looking at that familiar, bloody, disgusting, pathetic, heap of flesh and hair. Shuddering, shaking, and wheezing no longer, Jeff was very still, eyes glassy and unmoving. Crusted phlegm ran down from his nose holes, an unidentifiable substance was caked around the corners of his lips and curve of his chin. Bile clawed at the bottom of your esophagus at the very sight of him. 

The undercurrent of fuzzy nostalgia just wouldn't leave you alone. At long last you'd finally achieved of tinting those memories something other than rose tinted. Noah would have told you it was better to think of him negatively. You couldn't help but wonder what happened to him. Did that kid die when his body was set alight? Or did that kid grow into a self fulfilling prophecy? Lately, Jeff had been looking more like a mustache twirling villain who'd tie a screaming woman to train-tracks than as a three dimensional person. Did he even like grilled cheese anymore or was he just that hollow? 

In your home he hadn't shut his lips for a single solitary second but now he had nothing to say. Jeff just stared dead ahead, expression unreadable, drinking in your disgust. You wished he'd just decide how to act and stop pulling you back and forth. Except you could no longer be swayed by sympathy and memories. 

Deprivation of your attention was the very best you could do. Screaming sounded good and all but then you chanced seeing his ugly yellow smile. Chest shuddering, nails digging deep into (s/c) palms and cutting through layer after layer of skin, you forced yourself to turn round and pick your jacket up off the ground. It's damp fabric between your fingers slowed your heart, a comfortable visual hug which would never turn on you like somebody you knew. 

Silence couldn't last with Nina in the room. Nastily, she laughed of the fact that she was the least liked person in the room. "Uhm! Anyways! Sooooo, babe you're not mad at me right?" No response. "Right?" Still nothing. _"Right?"_ Deep and loud, she inhaled before wailing, " _Baaaaabbbeee! Answer meeee!"_

Jack's lips curled into his mouth, nostrils flaring as he let out a long frustrated sigh. The man was just barely containing himself from getting up and ripping the woman's head right off of her neck.

"Jane'll be back in jiff. Hang in there bitch." Natalie firmly patted his forearm in solidarity, eye twitching and probably ready to stab the ever loving shit out of Nina. 

"Jeff." Was all she was concerned with, "Jeff." Nina didn't give a rats ass about anybody else. "Jeff. Jeff. Jeff."

"Please." You hissed between gritted teeth, teetering on the edge of having an angry break down and throwing something. "Shut her up."

Sully rested his hand on his gun, turning over his shoulder and mumbling, "I'm thinking about it." 

"Just do it _quietly._ I have such a headache and I'd rather not get up right now." You were acutely aware of the way Jack's jaw clenched and relaxed, the way his clawed fingers dug shallowly into his scalp. 

"Jeff? Jeff."

"Okay, maybe I'm not gonna wait for Jane to get back." Calloused fingers curled around the edge of the table, turning a stark white with the pressure. 

"Jeff! Jeeeeeeeeff! _JEEEEEEEEE-"_

The caged animal's brutal screech tore itself from the very depths of it's chest, _"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU USELESS CUNT! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"_

At long last, silence. 

You couldn't look away from him as much as you told yourself that he made you sick. He just kept on finding ways to make you watch the smoking wreckage. Back in the day he just wanted someone to pay attention to him in a good way, but now he couldn't help himself from being a piece of shit. 

Jeff was shuddering against the ropes, breathing heavy and looking like he was right about to snap out of his restraints. All to get to Nina and choke the life momentarily out of her. Rotted tethers groaned and slowly unfurled, the group beside you tensing up, ready to put him down. Just like that, he slumped onto the back of the chair, crumpling forward to stare defeated at his feet. His brain may have been microwaved beyond recognition but he had the sense to know that it was useless. Prideful, vicious, full of a vile need to destroy to defeated, bitchy, and now quiet.

Jack's shoulders slacked and he sighed, "Finally." 

Nina immediately began whining, a droning nasily sound. "Baaayyybbbuhhhh! You know I hate it when you talk to me like that! So meeeaaannn!"

"Spoke too soon dude." Natalie commented.

Jeff didn't reply or even move at all. "Are you just gonna sit there and act like I don't exist now, huh?" Nina nastily sneered, flipping off of her annoyingly clingy persona to something much worse. For a few seconds, she pointedly observed him and when he continued to be still, she huffed, "Here we go again. Pooooor Jeff, he's all hollow inside! He can't go a single day without thinking about somebody who doesn't give two fucks about him! He's just gonna sit there and give up because he's tired," She pouted out her lip, fat and smeared red, _"And depwessed, pathetic, hates woosing, and is gonna gibe himsewlf awchowl poisoning later."_

"What a bitch." Natalie curled her lip distastefully at the blatant attempt at manipulation. Despite that, she was still nastily smiling, watching him suffer. Though you could not smile at the sickening sight, you didn't feel the slightest bit bad for him.

Nina obnoxiously scoffed and popped her tongue, adopting more of a sharply critical tone, "You're seriously doing this again. Right now. When we need to get out of here?" Beaded wrists jangled when she jerked and struggled against the ropes. Unlike Jeff's set of ropes, hers weren't as broken down. She waited, and waited, and waited, for a response but got none. Thus, her admittedly rational-ish act dropped to give way to immaturity, "Fine! Be that way! Don't care about me. Hope you're happy that I'm," She loudly sniffled, batting her eyes to try to quickly produce crocodile tears, "Crying!"

"Give me a break." Sully grunted, fingers tempted to draw the gun. 

Nina snapped her head toward the group, snorting up fake snot while mascara started to ooze down her face, much faster than Jack's similar tears. "No! You give _me_ a break!" 

"You are _so_ clever." Jack probably would have gotten up if it hadn't been for Jane's clicking approach.

She hadn't a rebuttal for that, telling. A ghost of a smile quirked up on the corners of your lips but it almost immediately fell when her eyes fell on you. "Are you as pathetically sad as I am, (Y/n). 'Cause your friend died and there's nothing that will ever bring him back?"

Taken aback and a blinding rage building up within you, you took a sharp breath and readied yourself to tell her what was what. Natalie beat you to the punch, "Oh fuck off."

"I'm not the one without a bestie." White teeth flashed at you both in a shit eating grin. 

Cruel and cold as ever, Jack almost smiled when he delivered the vaguely ominous news, "You'll have nothing soon enough."

"What do you know, edgy ass?" Nina scoffed at the man, hardly paying attention to the fact that Jane was close now, needles in hand. "There's _nothing_ you can take from us."

"I'd say your brains again but when I cracked you open, there was nothing there." Jack snidely sneered, head following Jane's path behind Nina, deadest of sticking it to Jeff first. 

Natalie and Sully snickered and Nina's scowl grew even more sour. "I'm smart! I got (Y/n) to trust _me!_ Okay wait, never mind anyone could do that."

Poisonous air hissed passed your teeth before you even thought about it, _"Shut up."_

Her lips twisted upward, ugly, messy, victorious. "Or what? Is the fucking jellyfish going to do something to me? God, you're like, _sooooo_ pathetic but ya'know what's the worst thing about you?" You opened your mouth to repeat yourself but she beat you to it, "You seem like you're a total dud in bed."

"She won't do shit but I might if ya keep runnin' your mouth." Natalie immediately barked over your start of a response.

That's it. "Stop trying to speak for me." Nina could wait, she was far below you and demanding your attention. Plus, years of bullying and misunderstanding of your character under your belt, you were way too used to childish shit like that.

"But sh-"

You held up a palm, "I can handle myself." Anyone with a working pair of eyes and Jack with his weird echolocation, could tell that Nina was tied up. All she could do was uselessly spit words at you. Sure, if she was trying to stab you, you've like some assistance but that was a scenario you hoped you would be in anytime soon.

"Uhhhmmm, did you hear me? You look like you can't fuck!"

Thankfully, Natalie kept her mouth shut for once. Turning to the scene brat, you saw a vile grin twisted on her lips. Fake tears may have stopped but the long streaks they left along her cheeks, dipping into the indented scar tissue. She wasn't victorious, she was beyond pathetic.

"Think what you want to about me but nothing can change the fact that you're absolutely disgusting on every level. Not to mention that you have no hope of ever becoming a better person, and if my years of experience with people like you can tell me anything; It's that you're sad and angry that this is what it is."

You heard the distinctly wheezy chuckle that you knew belonged to the thing that called itself Jeff. Your guts spun and twisted with his validation. Way back when he fought all your battles out of an insistence that you couldn't handle it, seeing you speaking your mind so sharply must have been satisfying on some level for him. You knew it was satisfying for you to do that.

No. Stop. Don't think of him like that. He is a vile fucking monster. Do not compare him to that child. They're the same person but not at the same time, paradoxical, but that's the only way you could think of him. Removed from himself but himself. It made your head hurt and a looming sense of dread painfully sprout up within you.

Nina's face split in two when she screeched at her partner, you couldn't look away from them as you heard Jane's heels get closer and closer, "Are you fucking serious, babe?! You won't talk to me but you'll laugh at her fucking insulting me?! Are you kidding? Hey! Look at me! Stop smiling! Hey! _HEY!"_

Jane had jammed the needle filled with a mystery sedative deep into his neck, viciously squirting way too much into his system. Sully stared, shoulders tense and jaw clenched tight. In his final moments of consciousness, Jeff cracked a smile in the face of Nina's rage. Disgust as a descriptor for how you felt was a criminal understatement.

"Jack, you're better at this than I am," Jane lazily threw a heap of black nylon at Jeff's feet, "Mind taking care of it?"

"Wait. What are you guys doing!?" Nina shrieked, slowly coming to a realization just as Jane was coming over.

Jack pushed himself up from his chair with a lax smile, "Ah, so you admit that I'm better at something than you."

"Stop ignoring me!" She continued, trashing hard in her seat, scooting and awkwardly hopping it to the side. 

"Don't get used to it." Jane snickered, roughly snatching onto the base of Nina's ponytail. 

"Let go of me!"

"Where are we going to put them?" Sully stiffly chimed in, "And who's watching who when."

"Claire's and Spencer's?" Natalie suggested, hopping out of her seat and stretching out her back, "Pretty far apart, could work well."

"Far apart?!" Nina cried genuine-ish tears when Jane injected the substance into her neck, _"YOU'RE SEPARATING US?!"_

You could hear the smile in Jack's voice when he said, "Yep."

_"(Y/N)!"_ Artificial blue shot up to you, spewing out manufactured words through tears, _"WE'RE FRIENDS RIGHT?! DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME AND MY MAN APART! I'M SORRY!"_

The audacity almost had you so shocked you forgot to say anything. Clear disgust on your face, you sternly snapped, "Fuck you, actually, fuck you."

" _PLEASE!"_

Satisfying as it was, she was still gut-wrenchingly disgusting to gaze upon. Especially when she was putting on such a pity party when she deserved worse. You felt no sympathy or even pity, what you did feel was contempt. You could have spewed insults at her, kick her when she was down, but you just coldly stared. Nothing you would say would sink into her thick skull anyways. Talking to her was a waste of air and time.

Jane dropped her head, the mass slacked down and her gaze was finally off you. She mumbled something you couldn't make out. 

"I can take Jeff downstairs." Sully offered, padding up beside Jack who was undying the man.

For a beat, the lot of you skeptically glanced at him.

"Oh fuck off, I have no reason to let him go." He scoffed.

"Fine by me." Jane shrugged, "We'll need to figure out shifts. We'll also need a plan if those people come back and we're all scattered."

"We'll I gotta pick my shit up still so I'll join a watch in a bit." Natalie mumbled, glancing over her shoulder at the abandoned campsite. 

"Alright. Jack, how long would you say this stuff lasts? Should we keep up a stock near them?" Jane asked, untying Nina's limp body in preparation for the rebinding. 

"Couple hours. Whole day if we're lucky."

"That sounds actually amazing," Jane mused, "Peace and quiet."

You pushed yourself up with a sigh, limp or animated, being around either of them would suck. Sitting this one out and moping in the food court was an option but you were working on building yourself up, facing your problems head on. As much as you didn't want to be near him, as much as his scent made your nose curl back, as much as the taste of vomit rose up on your tongue when he looked at you; You knew who you'd chosen to help look after.

Sully cast an irritated look over his shoulder at your approach, holding the back of his brother's chair and dragging the thing loudly across the tile. Mouth locked tight to make sure you wouldn't upchuck during the whole process, you bent down and grabbed the chair's front legs.

"Straighten your back with you lift and try not to put most of the weight on me." You could almost see the ghost of a smile on his lips. 


	28. 27 - Bounds, Binds, and A Broken Bong

_"Guys," Jeff began, an airy feeling of wonderlust in his voice, "I think I'm in love."_

_Liu glanced at you, a hand covering up his smile as he snickered. "I know." You gave him a confused side eye before you followed Jeff through the store._

_Spencer's had everything an edgy thirteen-year-old wanted. Anime t-shirts, plastic boobs, juuls, and a 'novelty' section that you covered your eyes at. It wasn't like you guys were here under any parental supervision, they couldn't know. Jeff had pestered them about dropping the lot of you off at the local GameStop to pick up some 3DS game that they didn't understand. Willing enough to throw away their money, they gave the boy a wad of cash because they didn't care to listen to him talk about his interests in the slightest. They then tore out of the parking lot and didn't tell you when they'd be back, typical._

_You and Liu had followed him around the store, watching him pick up Resident Evil: Revelations, pay, then you all stood outside in the blistering heat to wait. Soon enough, the store next door caught Jeff's eye and he started marching toward it._

_Now you were here, sweating bullets. If their parents came back now and saw you guys walking out of there, you'd all be so dead. Your caretakers would be called and you didn't want to explain why you were found in a store that endorsed Satan, sex, and cigarettes. Yet you couldn't help but feel a heart pounding thrill of doing something you probably weren't supposed to do. Though the employees didn't seem to get on your cases when you were clearly nowhere near eighteen. There was a ton of innocent TV merch so they were probably used to the wayward kid wandering in for a graphic tee now and again._

_Jeff was the clear leader through the little trip, leading you to a display of socks. The boy was absolutely enthralled in laughter at the sight of Michael Myers printed across a sock, face the width of his body. His laughter was contagious and even though you could feel annoyed eyes on you, for once you were having a hard time caring. Just one of those magical moments where in your youthful hubris, you thought nothing could go wrong. Well, that and who on Earth would kick kids out for laughing at what Jeff called 'Wideal Myers'?_

_"Oh shit! I remember this!" Jeff proclaimed, grabbing the shirt off the wrack and presenting it to you and Liu. "I don't know if you've seen it (Y/n) but last week Liu and I saw this on TV. Funniest shit I've ever seen." You just blinked at the shirt, a grinning pickle with muscly limbs standing triumphantly in front of a toilet. Above the image, in bold green text, it read, ' The Adventures Of Pickle Rick'._

_"It was uh," Liu almost cringed but his face quickly shifted back to one of indifference, "Something alright."_

_In the end, the three of you had to sneak out the back exit, yelled at, but not pursued by employees. The boy's parents had pulled up and texted Liu to come outside, but there was no way they were going to voluntarily get themselves in trouble. That same heart racing thrill was back, stronger than ever and even though you were afraid of getting in more trouble, you couldn't help but not protest too harshly to going in through GameStop's back door. Liu had brought up the point that if you came around the store's side it'd be incredibly suspicious._

_Sure, employee's told you that you couldn't be back there but Jeff just led you by the hand, Liu holding your other and stumbling behind you to keep up. Past the confused employees who frankly didn't care that much and out the front door. They didn't suspect a thing. You all sat in the back row of the van, pressed together like sardines and holding up gut busting laughter. Smiles and looks of childish secrecy were exchanged._

_It was one of the last really good days and you didn't even know it._

**\----**

Sitting in a Spencer's with the two men, fully grown and fucked up, was surreal. All that time you'd spent looking back at that trip to Spencer's with a longing fondness, thinking that it was final, that you'd never get to relive your youth. Now here you were, filled with nostalgia and hateful bitterness.

That was wrong actually, you weren't with just the brothers, Natalie was there too. Coming in after what felt like an eternity of awkward silence. She was the person who was on your side, as much as she could be when she'd kidnapped you. At least she let you go take a break by sitting outside of the store on a rusted bench. It got to be too much, smelling him, seeing him, the very air around Jeff made you feel itchy. You'd sat there on cold steel that dug into your lower back, snacking on dry granola and hyping yourself up to be within fifteen feet of the vilest smile ball on the planet. 

When you'd come back from your fourth break in a six hour period, Natalie greeted you, Jeff didn't move, and Sully just _looked_ at you. Disapproval evident in the way his nose curled and top lip curled back. Unusual for Sully who usually seemed to word vomit whatever he was feeling, which was generally something crude. Maybe Ezekiel or Liu was coming back to the front, mentally preparing themselves to lecture the ever loving shit out of you. You never thought that you'd prefer Sully. 

Natalie didn't trust you on her phone, but she let you lean over her shoulder and watch her play a mindless game. Woody Block it was called, rows and rows of various brown squares lined up. Disappearing with monotone fanfare. It was one way to pass the time and you weren't complaining. 

Except it wasn't without it's drawbacks. Repetitive visual stimuli was nice and all, but it was a nagging reminder of someone who was addicted to mobile games. Tetris was that man's Achilles' heel. One time Noah had been so absorbed in the game that he overstayed his fifteen minute break. Taking a whole hour off unintentionally and earned the mild scorn of your co-workers for a few weeks. Boss nearly fired him, it became a joking jab to bring up Tetris in the break room. Noah cried about it a few times, he felt stupid, selfish, and dumb for getting so sucked in. You'd wrap an arm around him, put on an obscure documentary about frogs, and reassure him that he wasn't a shitty coworker. 

It was like falling asleep, you don't know when it happened. Only when Natalie looked over her shoulder because of the warm wetness dripping onto her jacket, asking, "Dude, are you crying?" Were you aware of the way your eyes stung and how heavy snot was dripping dangerously close to your lip. 

"Ah, yeah, sorry." You recoiled away from her, rapidly trying to blink away the sting. Without thinking, you went to wipe your dirty hands over your eyes. The second you pressed the balls of your palms to your eyelids, it got immensely worse. Crying out, you ripped your hands away, grimacing hard and keeping your eyes screwed shut, feeling the intense burn of stupidity. 

"Oh fuck!" Natalie exclaimed accompanied by a shuffling and a _zzwwiip. "_ Here, this might help." Something soft was shoved roughly into your hands. 

You didn't even think about what it was, diving your face blindly into the thing. Through shaking your head and roughly rubbing your eyes with the item, you were able to relieve yourself. Warm snot touched down on the thing and without a second thought, you loudly blow your nose into it. 

Natalie defeatedly exclaimed, "Did you just- I- _Man."_

You pulled yourself up and batted your eyelids open. Upon looking down you saw what she'd given you, her jacket. You gawked at your snot sitting on her prized possession for a few moments before you stumbled out an, "I am _so_ sorry." Fingers started fidgeting anxiously, picking out grout that had dug itself beneath your fingernails.

"It's fine honestly." She shrugged much to your surprise. "It's just clothes, I can wash it off later." If someone blew snot onto your jacket right about now, you'd probably lose your marbles. Nat didn't come off as very mature either, double whammy. 

"I know but like," It was sunken into the fabric, some of your DNA would probably always be in there, "It's not."

"I don't care." Couple weeks ago she would have had a knife to your jugular for that. Probably wouldn't have offered you the jacket in the first place. 

You looked at her, _really_ looked at her. Taking in every little detail from the way her skin stretched and creased around the clock to the upturned end of her nose. She wasn't snarling, sadistically smirking, she was looking back at you like you were any other person. Familiarity. Friendliness. "Why are you so nice to me?"

"I've told you so before." She planted a firm pat onto the center of your back, hard enough to straighten up your slight slouch. "You're part'a the team."

"I was before," You sourly recalled, "Why is now any different? I know it's because I'm messed up over Noah and you _get it,_ but you don't have to be so nice to me." You quickly realized what it was sounding like, "I mean! I don't want you to stop but I just don't understand."

She smiled at that, even and long, pushing the x's back. "I won't, I won't. But really though, you're not annoying, you pull your weight, sometimes you use your backbone, I like that in a person. An' you seem kinda interesting. Gets pretty boring around here, you should tell me about those little fuckin'," She tapped one of your pins, "Thingies sometime."

"They're cryptids." You corrected enthusiastically, "I wouldn't know where to start. Well, I guess I do, Mothman's very well known and easy to understand and get attached to. So it all started in-" You stopped yourself from info dumping for three hours, your hands were excitedly vibrating at the very idea of talking about it, but you had more important things to talk about. You shelved the topic for after you addressed the more serious one. "I uh- Sorry."

"Don't be." She only looked away from your long held eye contact when Sully scoffed.

Across the room he leaned against the wall, always hovering within a few feet of Jeff. His arms were crossed tight, holding a generally grumpy disposition. 

"Fuck off, bitter ass." Natalie told him, hand sliding closer to her pocket.

"I'm _not_ bitter." Sully growled through gritted teeth.

The woman nastily laughed, "Sure sound like you are."

"I'm not." He insisted.

"Uh-huh." Nat hummed and the conversation dropped. You hadn't even been thinking about looking at her, it just happened. Now that you were aware of it though, reconnecting your eyes after she gave him a mean spirited glare was much harder.

"I'm glad you don't think I'm annoying? I really do try not to be." Natalie breathily snickered at that and you felt a smidgen better. It encouraged you to keep going in a half-joking manner, "I'm not really used to having to be brave like this so I'm happy you think highly of me when I _don't_ pee my pants."

First, she wheezed, then she cackled, soon enough she was guffawing and repeatedly slapping her hand onto the dirty floor. That was _a lot easier_ than you thought and much more rewarding. _"Pee!"_ She parroted with a contagious grin. 

Sully groaned, snarl growing deeper but he stayed uncharacteristically quiet. Eventually, three minutes according to her clock, she stopped laughing. Almost. Still giggling and clutching her stomach, she asked, "Why are you so shocked?"

You blinked as if it wasn't obvious. "The first time we met you chased and assaulted me?"

"Aah, memories." She mused, dabbing the corners of her eyes with her jacket. You couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "I didn't kill you though!"

"You weren't supposed to, but you went out of your way to do that to me." With every word, you grew more resentful of her past actions. Though she wasn't the worst person in the room, she still fucked you up.

"(Y/n), I'm an actual serial killer." Natalie flatly reminded, "I could have done a lot worse without killing you."

"You still hurt me." You insisted, shuffling away.

Her shoulders slacked at the action and she sighed, "Yea, kinda shitty of me," Looking away, she seemed to find the floor very interesting, "You're not even _my usual_ so I wouldn't have actually fucked you up. Can geddit though."

"And?" _Say sorry. It won't fix shit but at least say sorry._

"Oops, my bad." Something was telling you that was the best you were going to get for awhile. "Just be glad you're not dead." The absolute lack of understanding on her end for how you felt was almost astonishing. 

"Yeah," You thought she wasn't as bad but maybe you were wrong, "I sure do like being alive." The distance between you both grew as you scooted a few more inches away.

"And?"

"And what?" You echoed, fingers crawling their way up your jacket's zipper.

"Aren't you going to say thanks?"

Tired revulsion settled itself inside of you. The audacity. You looked her dead in her working eye and flatly told her, "I am not going to say thank you for you not killing me." 

"Hm," She almost pouted, "That's fair, I think? Do you at least think that I'm-" Natalie paused to think carefully about her choice of words, "Interesting?"

"I think you're evil." You immediately blurted out without batting an eye.

Her laugh was always so animated, first, she'd crumple in on herself, then she'd throw herself back and lean on her palms. Body shaking and shuddering, grin opening and closing. This time she only came forward rather than go on her usual path, leaning her elbow on her thigh and coming into your personal bubble with a growing grin. "A lil evil in yer life never hurts."

"Yes, it literally has."

She pinched her fingers nearly together, "That's why I said only a little." 

You dully said, "Okay." Not really knowing how exactly to respond to that.

One minute, two, three, almost four till she deemed it appropriate to restart the conversation, "Do you think I'm cool or not?"

"I think you're-" Lips sealed tighter than a Ziploc, you wouldn't call her scary and give her that sick validation. "Why do you care about my opinion of you?"

Suddenly on the spot, Nat didn't shrink away but she did twiddle her thumbs. "You got a, uhhh. Certain Je ne sais quoi to you."

"If you don't have a solid explanation then I won't get what you mean." 

Defeated, she sighed and slacked her shoulders, "Well, there's everything I said and you're pretty." She couldn't be serious. "And there's nothin' like a pretty lady telling me I'm cool." She was serious.

Blink, blink, breath in, open your mouth, shut it, open it again, looking like a fish. Your brain had to have been short circuiting. "Pardon?"

"You heard me."

Hm. "You think," A hand uncurled itself from your zipper to poke into your chest, "I'm pretty?" Don't get it twisted, you're very attractive and fun and cool. Having a good self image was important and all, but hearing that from her was more than unexpected. 

"I have eyes, uh- An eye, no shit I do. Call it like I see it." Blunt, easy to process. Yet that compliment mixed with that smile made you feel vaguely confused. 

"I think you're _a lot_ of things." You carefully began, not backing away from her inching closer with a brow raising intrigue. It was almost a compulsion out of practiced politeness, when someone compliments you, do it back. "And I think you're pretty too."

"I know I'm hot and all, but if I didn't know any better-" Closer and closer she came, just barely her fingers came under your chin to have your better meet her eye. "I'd say that you're comin' onto me."

Her touch was rough, not in force, but in the texture of her skin. Dry, calloused. It felt nice against yours for a moment until your brain started to work again. Then it became like a static electric shock, not particularly painful but alarming enough to jump away from. "Whoa! I didn't- I'm not!" Suddenly your face felt _very_ hot. "You have a girlfriend! I'd never-"

"Aww come on (Y/n)," She cooed, batting her lash, "You should just get the vibe that I'm down for a little, how you say- _Ménage à trois."_

Raspily spoken words slid off her tongue like she meant every single bit of it had you wheezing and stuttering like you'd forgotten how to speak. "I- I- UHHHHHHHHHHH-"

There it was, the coming forward then shooting her head back as she cackled, "I'm just messin' with you man!"

"I uh- Um. I don't think of you like that." You forced yourself to clarify anyway, "Jane wouldn't like you joking around like that either."

"I know, I know." Wheezing and giggling, Nat still tried to soothe you, "Plus we talked some about it. She's really protective and territorial sometimes 'cuz ya'know." You didn't. "It's kinda hot."

You quirked your head to the side, "Getting into fights like that isn't hot."

"Oh no, it's not, that sucked dick and we still kinda have to get on that." Remembering with a cringe, she started to anxiously scratch at one of her stitches. "Like she said she was sorry about some of it but- I dunno, man." Natalie huffed, dumping out her relationship baggage right at your feet, "It's happened twice before, all big like that and stuff and I'm starting to think that maybe she doesn't give as much of a fuck as I do." 

You were flabbergasted, you'd had people overshare at you before but Natalie just seemed to be so brash. Brainless jock stereotype. One that in truth was turned on it's head, sensitive jock. Yet without a heart of gold.

"I uhhhh-" You and Noah had this conversation over and over again, just follow the same script you told yourself. "Well he- She should treat you better and put in more effort. I get that it's hard to," When you deliver pizza's twelve hours a day, "When you're in this sort of situation but she should take the time to talk to you and understand you."

"Hypocrite." Sully coldly chimed in, calling both of your attention away from melodrama to a very upsettable man with a gun. He pushed himself off the wall as he continued, "You say that but you won't even give _him_ a chance." 

"Oh, fuck off Sully." Natalie immediately spat, detecting the threat and pushing herself to her feet. 

"Liu." He corrected flatly. Your stomach sank. It felt like such a long time since you'd talked to him. He knew what you did, he knew you betrayed him. For your own well being, but he didn't understand that because he was selfish. Head stuck in the clouds and his own ass. Sully was somehow better even with the increased risk of bodily harm, at least he understood.

"Fuck off Liu." 

You didn't like the way his face hardened up at that. Pushing yourself up to your feet was just instinct telling you what to do, fight or flight switching on. Standing like this you could see the very top and back of Jeff's slumped over head. You swallowed hard just to tighten up your esophagus for a passing moment so you wouldn't vomit.

Liu ignored her request, eyes sharply cutting to you, "Why is it that you will let her talk to you like that but the _very_ _idea_ of saving him and other lives by loving him, repulses you?"

If he wanted to open that can of worms, it was worms he was gonna get. Not like ones that live buried in your gut but the verbal ones made of ideas, burrowing between his brain folds so he'd get the fucking picture. 

You started with a deep inhale, collecting your hate carefully. Then you breathed it all out, "I don't love him because you guys moved out, because he stopped texting me and shut me out. I don't love him because he left me when I was a fucked up kid and had to fend for myself. Because I grew up ten years without his help, I became independent and my own person. I don't love him because he's attempted to murder me, couldn't, then vented to me about his fucking problems. I used to _like_ him because he was my friend and lifeline as a disabled kid but he is _far_ from that now. I will _never_ love him because he is an evil person, worse than her, worse than you,worse than the fucking man-eating god thing! _He killed my best friend and he'll kill me too if he gets another chance!"_

Out of breath and just about drained of your thoughts, you stopped to catch it. Liu stared, Jeff stayed slumped over, Natalie chortled, "There's that backbone again."

_"Do you think this is a game?"_ Liu harshly snapped, rearing his head back toward Natalie. Someone he thought to be expendable, someone he could shoot, someone he wanted to shoot.

"No, but I think that it's funny as fuck that you're so mad about it." She knew damn well what she was getting into, hands eagerly reaching into her pockets for Dr. Sims and Martin, itching for a fight. 

That's all he needed as confirmation to put his hand firmly on his gun. "This isn't funny."

Natalie took a few casual steps toward him, laughing purposefully, "Ha. Ha. Ha."

Low and hateful, he slowly slid his gun from it's holster, "Laugh one more time and I _swear."_

You started to squirm in place, anxiously trying to figure out how to deescalate the situation. Words could work!

"Hey gu-"

_"HARDY-HAR-HAR!"_

Knives out and already pressed to his throat. Gun drawn and shoved between her eyebrows. 

Liu sounded nearly demonic, gutturally growling out every syllable. " _What did I just say?!"_ His pure malice shining true, taking it all out on the poor skin of her forehead. Sure to be bruised if she got out of this alive.

"I dunno! I don't speak dumb bitch!" Natalie leaned into it's barrel, practically daring him to squeeze the trigger. He didn't have the guts she thought, having surviving this before. 

"Guys!" You shouted and though they didn't look at you, they didn't immediately continue their screaming match. "Let's talk this out, there's no need for this."

Liu accusatorily yelled, gun still pressed to her, eyes shooting to you, "So you're allowed to cry all you want but when I'm angry I can't act like it?!"

"Violence isn't the answer!" You shrieked, knowing full well of the gratification you got out of clobbering those proxies. Except it came with a side of self loathing.

"There's nothing else!" He insisted, his attention back on the source of his anger, mind as one-track as a kid's.

"Get a stress ball, pace, break cheap plates, go to a batting rink, draw, scream, write, watch a movie, go outside!" Rattling off the list of coping mechanisms was easy as one, two, thee, but for Liu it didn't seem like any of it stuck as firm as the gun pressed to Nat's head.

"Well Nina didn't have to shoot me but here we are!" 

Natalie scoffed, "You're fine you big fucking baby! It was just a graze." 

"You didn't think that way when _she_ just barely got hit." He rebutted lowly.

You had a feeling that using rational words right now wasn't a hot idea and you were running out of time until they ripped one another open. You started to look around for something to grab their attention away from one another long enough for them to chill out. 

"All you people do is talk about how much you want him to die. Then you maim people and fuck each other like you aren't the same thing as him." Liu continued while your eyes shot to the torn posters on display. Some showed barely coherent depictions of weed personified, another the most notable and readable was about a novelty dick-shaped cake pan. "You're all hypocrites."

"Oh really?!" Natalie began when a dull blue something caught your eye, "He's worse than all of us combined!"

"Seems like you're all the same to me." Quick and quiet, you shuffled toward the half-broken curve of what once was a tube. 

"We all stab people but he stabs more people, specifically me and more than a few times, _you."_ She dug in deep but not with her knives.

_"Don't talk about that."_

"Why not?" Natalie challenged nastily. "It's true!"

The closer you were to the thing you made out more of it's scattered bits and pieces. The biggest being the neck of what used to be a bong. You sure hoped nobody had used it and it was just broken merchandise. 

Liu turned the safety off. "That's why."

You pulled your jacket sleeve over your palm, carefully grabbing onto it's jagged and sepsis inducing edges. 

Natalie tensed a moment before she growled, "Look at yourself, all up in arms about some fucking burnout. You really are pathetic, ya'know that?"

You rose, a vague plan in mind that probably wouldn't work with these two hard headed assholes. Up your arm came.

_"That's it."_

You don't think you'd ever moved your arm as fast. " _SHUT UP!"_

_**SMASH!**_

Blue exploded on the hard tile right at your feet. Every which way a blur of glassy shrapnel flew, some skidding gratingly across the floor, others flying up and grazing the fabric on their knees. Either way, you got their attention and this time around you had to be just as aggressive with these adult children.

"You guys are so far up your own asses while _literally_ being at each other's throats that it's ridiculous!" You definitely leaned toward Natalie's opinion that Jeff fucking sucks, and they both already knew that. Bringing it up would be redundant and also potentially dangerous for one of or both of you when Liu was so agitated. "If you hate each other so much then do it quietly! Liu," You addressed him with an acute boldness, one that made you afraid of even yourself, "She can help by 'keeping my morale up' as you put it. We need her, she's another set of eyes and muscles to watch for and take out those proxy people. And Nat," Her nickname slipped so naturally off your tongue even if it was firm, sounding nearly like Jane, "Stop messing with him if you wanna live."

You expected a profound silence for your words to hang heavy in the air before sinking deep into their bones. But there was none as he began, raspily snickering behind your little group, "Look at you, acting like you're not fucking weak."

A few inches was all it took for his form to be in view, his head just barely lifting itself up. His hair was soggier than ever, clumsily covering up most of his face, save for the sliver the bald spot allowed. Milky eye far off base from looking at you but you could tell he was trying to stare. 

Just like back then, all eyes on him. Jeff always tried to be the center of attention. The second you got theirs he just had to steal it like that one time in pre-K- _Stop it._

"When the fuck did he get up?" Natalie grumbled, backing off from Liu. A _click_ played from the gun, safety back on. Wouldn't want to accidentally shoot his beloved brother now, would he?

"Do you know how much mud I do? This isn't _shit!"_ Jeff dryly spat, tight ropes keeping him from lunging out of his seat and raising physical hell. 

Liu brushed passed you, kneeling to get to the already full and waiting needle set on the most sterile cloth Jack could have provided. His gun back in it's holster, jaw locked tight and lips in a frown. He didn't like it at all but even he knew that an unconscious Jeff was a better Jeff. Especially when you mutually all needed him unable to escape. 

Knowing his time of being somewhat conscious was short, Jeff got to work on chipping away at egos, "Hey, you, Cockwork." The crusted brown sleeve of his hoodie had been tightly rolled all the way up his shoulder already, easy for Liu to more safely pump the tranquilizer into his brother's bloodstream. Earlier you'd caught a glance at a patch of mostly unscarred skin on his upper arm, there was a little bump of disturbed skin where his Seprelin implant had once been. Was it actually still in there or had he ripped it out before he was made into that _thing?_

"Fuck off." She hissed, watching Liu carefully test the needle like Jeff wasn't vaguely immortal and would heal from a couple of air bubbles in his veins. 

"No. Funny that you're mad when ya should'a known you never were jack-fucking-shit to me." Sever every rose colored memory, spew as much toxic waste through worn teeth as possible, Jeff wanted one thing and one thing alone. To be hated. 

"Fuck off and die." What an astute addition from Natalie. 

"And you." Jeff's unseeing gaze fell almost onto the man who was pushing the needle into the cleanest patch of skin. "If you really wanna be anything to me. Then let me go, won't you _big brother?"_

Liu sighed, thumb hovering over the plunger, "You know this is for the best."

Reactionary as always, Jeff couldn't hide his true colors for more than three seconds, "What's best for me is you as dead as that cunt Shelia and what's his name." 

At the use of their parent's names Liu froze up. Jeff saw fit to keep on going, "Why couldn't you have just died?"

Jeff groaned and shuddered, nearly purring when Liu pressed the plunger further and further down. "That's the stuff."

Your hand slid out of the jacket's cuff, clasping a hand over your mouth. Back again rearing it's ugly head was that feeling of sickness. Deep and churning.

"Ay fuck face," Natalie said above all the mental discordance, "Take it in. This is probably the last time you'll be aware of your own dick 'fore you're conked out till **he** lays you off. Personally, can't wait to do the honors and cut your belly open. But that's enough about me, any last words?" Really got you thinking about how this was almost like being on death row but worse. Eventually, the day would come where he'd be put down but now he just had to wait. You weren't exactly satisfied to hear that he wouldn't horribly suffer while he waited, full of dread and fear of his own demise. The absolute hell that going through withdrawals would be, the sweating, begging, and whimpering. You probably didn't have the stomach for that but the idea that you could see it but were being robbed of it was disheartening. 

"Eat shit and die."

Jeff's words hung above all of you for a moment, genuine and bitter. Then he was out like a light, the only sounds he made were labored breathing. Liu took the needle out with a diligent swiftness, not so carefully dropping the thing on the floor, his hands shaking. You didn't exactly know what was going on in his system right now but you did know that being talked to by him like that messed with your head a lot. 

Without explanation, he spun on his heel and briskly walked right on out of the Spencer's. This time using the front door with no shitty parents there to yell at him for it.

And then there were two, conscious people anyway. You didn't want to be here anymore, you needed a moment away, just for a few minutes. A walk sounded nice, look at nature growing in through the cracked foundation reclaiming it's old stomping grounds. To see beauty in the world, to try to make this place feel a little more like home to take solace in with what little time you had left.

Not without letting it be known what you were doing as firmly as possible. "I'm going for a walk. Be back in awhile." With that, you spun on your heels, head up high and steps a tad more confident. 

"Fine by me." She sure didn't sound too pleased that you were using your backbone right about now but she didn't force you to stay. It felt just, satisfying almost.

All you could hope was that you got back before Liu so he didn't kill her or that he took your words to heart. For a short time though, you'd do your best to try to forget.

Walking around without much of a goal in mind, you began to feel more familiar with the oversized rectangle that was the downstairs. Well, not really. You'd hardly been paying attention to turning around corners and not tripping over rouge weeds and slick moss. You'd been mostly daydreaming when you weren't worried that that group would jump you out of nowhere. Nobody came for you. Allowing your mind to meander onto more pleasant things while you carefully stepped around a leafless tree sprout growing through tile cracks. 

It got you thinking to just before all of this. Mostly to that mythology you were just starting to get into. The Norse stuff. You'd just barely dipped your toes in, honestly if you had your phone you probably would have had a new special interest on your hands. 

You thought about it whenever you passed that little tree by. The importance the plant had on earlier humans was so much more than what the dinky barely standing twig looked like. Growing up from nothing, shedding and re-birthing parts of themselves year by year, it was beautiful in a way that a stereotypical seventies stoner thought the littlest thing was wonderful. From rays of sunshine through rafters to the specs of dust floating in them.

What was it again? The one tree who's Wiki you'd only gotten to skim through before work the night you were taken? It was one of those trees, one of mythology, old and important as fuck. It was just on the tip of your tongue. You remember putting the name into Google for a bot to read it out. Though you couldn't remember the spelling, you did remember enjoying a whole ten minutes of trying to correctly pronounce it over and over. Eggs drill? No. Egg dress sill? 

You couldn't remember if for the life of you, but what you did vaguely remember was that it connected worlds or something like that. Piercing through different heavens if you recalled correctly. It was so unsatisfying to not know every little thing about it, so far out of your reach.

Maybe Natalie would let you use her phone and let you research the stuff. It'd be much better to absorb information like a dry sponge than watch her play mobile games and sit around waiting for something you all weren't even sure would be that obvious. The very thought of it made you almost shake with excitement.

_**Ssskkrrch!**_

Nearly jumping out of your skin, you whipped your head around to the front of a CVS. Metal grate forcibly pushed up in it's middle, a telltale sign that at some point Jack had forced his way in. Could be that he kept or found his medical supplies in the chain drugstore. This place was looted thoroughly and the mall itself had to have been abandoned for years upon years. Anything in there had to be expired to the point of being deadly.

_**Ssskkrrch!**_

You were just about to bolt, thinking that it was them again, but then you saw those reflective disks. Milky white and wide. Was it weird that you relaxed at the sight of a bloodthirsty predator? Nah. He was your bud! Your monster pal who you didn't even know was real until a month ago. He was protective of you, he was a cuddle bug and a chatterbox. Rake was himself and a sight for sore eyes.

You felt a smile creep up onto your lips as you called out, "What're you doing in there?" 

"Gwaaaa." He responded, claws loudly sliding on tile getting quieter. Eyes growing smaller by the second. _Follow me._

Two options, go into a dim room when no one else knew where you were with a literal monster or keep being bored. The former sounded a lot better. Few weeks back you would have pounded feet in the other direction, goes to show how easy it was to sway you in such a hopeless situation with a little affection.

Walking under the bent metal just a bit bigger than Jack's silhouette felt odd. Intrusion into somewhere that wasn't exactly a home, a liminal space that you weren't meant to be in. You'd stopped just after crossing the threshold, heart pounding heavy in it's rib cage when you felt the slight stickiness of the air. 

_Calm down, if Jack was around you'd know it!_ _This place was just musty._

Rake's pale body kept on crawling backward, his butt raised and swaying back and forth. Akin to a cat about to pounce but the attack never came. "Chrrrrit!" _Come on!_

You swallowed your fear back. Gotta keep on thickening that skin, right? What's a little adventure with an undefinable creature?

"I'm coming, one sec." Passing by fallen shelves and stepping over mystery puddles of something slick, you were nearly in front of Rake when he shuffled back further. This time it was through an actual door, propped open by a yellow pages. Something was off, really off. A person had to do that. Not like Rake wasn't kind of like a person, but he'd probably shred that thing up in a second. Unless somebody told him not to.

A claw poked one of your pins with a soft _tink._ "Raaawwr." Grabbing your attention away just like that, disappearing into what looked like a hallway.

"What?" You thought aloud, scanning both ways to find that it went on and on, every once in awhile another door would pop up, a different store in the mall. You hadn't actually been in many stores so you couldn't have entirely noticed the pattern. They were just there, this entire time. A million years too late because escape, even if possible, would get you nothing but trouble. Temptation had pawed at you earlier, just run, your mind had said but the second they found you again it'd get ugly. Jack would make good on his promises right away, keeping you conscious while ripping you wide open. 

Where was he anyway? In the back of that deli, cutting open a cadaver like they weren't a walking, talking, human being only some time beforehand? How could he indulge in a life like that? Yeah, yeah, he's a gray monster with no eyes but he was lucid. He had a conscience. He knew full well what he was doing and most of the time Jack was as cool as a cucumber. Man, you couldn't even imagine how far gone he must be on the inside, godhood or not. 

You pushed Jack out of your mind the best you could but he'd been lingering around your thoughts ever since you got back. Comeuppance was coming and you didn't how or when, but it was a'comin'. 

Rake turned around and clambered down the hall, expecting you to follow along. So you did. Nothing else to do.

One notable thing about the hallway other than the general dimness that came with the few windows, was that the was air as thick and pungent as pea soup. The further you traveled, the worse it got. Air itself feeling like it was alive and afraid. In paranormal movies rooms would get colder and colder when ghouls were near, but it was just getting warmer. Not unbearably so but it was noticeable.

Then it came, the voice, pleasant, astute, and one you'd never heard before. _“Gregor’s serious wound, from which he suffered for over a month-"_

Who was Gregor? The person talking? Were they like you, trapped for a purpose? Maybe they were one of Jack's snacks, escaped and cooly jabbering to themselves to keep calm while wandering.

It continued, voice starting to curdle and tremor with an intense revulsion, " _The apple remained embedded in his flesh as a visible souvenir since no one dared to remove it-"_

Every word brought even more pep in Rake's step. Wait. If this was an escapee, was Rake hunting them down for Jack? Did he bring you along just to watch him partake in his favorite hobby?

_"Seemed to have reminded even his father that Gregor was a member of the family,"_

You had to stop Rake but it wasn't like you could subdue him with insane wrestling moves. What you did have was pins, some iridescent. With a swiftness you didn't know you'd had in your non-dormant arm, you snatched the front of your jacket and violently shook it about. Pins jingling and catching light at odd angles.

_"In spite of his present pathetic and repulsive shape,"_

His head followed the janky movements but he didn't stop. It was like the voice was a string dragging him along a set path. Again you shook the jacket, both sides this time. It didn't work.

_"Who could not be treated as an enemy;"_

Just passed Rake's form you could see the end of the hallway, door just barely cracked open and a sliver of yellow-ish light streaming out of it. Floodgates of dread swung open, the voice had to be coming from there and Rake was only getting closer.

_"That, on the contrary,"_

As a last ditch effort you gabbed onto the back of his skinny thigh, feeling his flesh sickly shift with your touch. Rake was unbothered, sticking his spindly fingers between the door crack and pushing it open. The newfound light source shone bright into your eyes. You recoiled, snapping your lids shut and hoping Rake was just as blinded and off put.

_"It was the commandment of the family duty to swallow their disgust and endure him, endure him and nothing more.”_

"Hm? Oh, it's you. Pause."

When you opened your eyes you were met with a sight you should have expected. The mall security room, at least what remained of it. Stereotypical TV's had been torn from the wall, only a few remained but they were so busted that there was no way they'd ever play again. Hanging in their place on the busted mounts were an array of Jack's harnesses. The desk where computers had once sat was mostly cleared, save for a half-empty bottle of Pepto-Bismol, and an array of granola bars. In the rightmost corner of the room sat a trunk that must have come up to your hip, black and shut tight. Sitting adjacent to the bed were two things, a kerosene lamp and a TV dinner tray adorned with nothing. 

Your first thought was: _Hey, isn't he blind? Why does he have a lamp?_

The gigantic mattress took up roughly a fourth of the entire room, thin sheets messily crinkled around his form. Leaning his back against the off-white wall was Jack, phone resting beside him. Screen still bright even with the inactivity, showing a grotesque image of a beetle. Just above it's slick looking brown head read: _The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka._

That was no person, it was an audiobook. There was no one to save except for yourself. Jack was nearly the last person you wanted to be almost alone with. Rake protected you from the proxies but would he protect you from his bestie?

Rake was cool and all, but there was no way you were going to stick around. Just as you turned tail, his clammy palm carefully grabbed you by your bad shoulder and dragged you into the room. 

Shoulder suddenly hotly throbbing, you cried out, dragged your feet, and squirmed. "Let go!" You instinctually yelped, dominant hand snatching the door frame in a last ditch attempt to not be any closer to him.

"Rrrrit?" Rake chattered before tugging hard on your shoulder, ripping your grip off the door frame just like that. Before he noticed your acute distress no problem, but now that he was the one causing it for whatever reason; It was like he couldn't tell at all.

Gasping with a stinging palm, you felt your doom set in with the sound of his voice, "Why did you bring her here?"

"Rabba-rabba." He cheerfully growled, whipping you around like a rag-doll to come to a stop before his skinny body. He let go and you stumbled to the side, quickly stabilizing whilst clutching your shoulder. Freed, you figured you could just run around Rake and go, but upon turning around you found your worse case scenario.

Rake had squatted on his haunches, flat features shifting in what must have been a smile. He was blocking the door, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Rrrrit!" Sometimes Rake was like a dog, a golden retriever specifically. Intelligent in a basic problem solving sort of way and dumbly happy most of the time. Usually cute, but now was the worst time to act like this.

"Could you uh- move?" You had hardly even looked at Jack yet but that passing glance of him lounging struck a terror in you that was becoming familiar.

He tilted his head, slowly blinking at your pained expression and shaking hands. Bedsprings groaned, Jack was getting up, his deep voice echoing through the room, "I get it. You wanted us to have a play date. That right?"

_Uh-oh._

His bulbous bald head shook vigorously in his nodding. "Chhaaa! Chhhhaa!" The most movement Rake did other than that was wiggle his butt. 

Was that what this all was? Like a child, he led one favorite person to another. Both were great, but together they'd be better. Cute if that was the case, but you weren't all too thrilled to be brought to _play_ with Jack.

The closer he came the louder his steps, floor shuddering beneath your shoes. Shakes traveling through your soles and up your legs. That strangely comfortable heat grew slightly thicker on your back when it all stopped. He was right behind you. Melting the ice cold fear in your veins and giving you cause to _move._ Sure, Rake was blocking the width of the door, but maybe you could climb over him! 

Didn't make it a solid foot. His hand grabbed the back of your jacket, clamping tightly in the fabric. Didn't even yank you back, he just stopped you from continuing while your hands shot up to the zipper.

"Stay." Command that of one given to a dog that you were disciplinary disappointed at. "Buddy, you gotta move." Jack calmly insisted, other arm coming into view to grab onto the door.

You didn't want to leave the jacket behind but you _really_ liked having your organs right where they were. 

Rake hopped into the room, claws clicking as he chattered to himself. Door hinges shrieking, Jack had begun to seal to your doom.

_Zwwwwip!_

You lurched forward, arms sliding out from behind you. Free for only a second before the door was shut completely. Jack's pointed nails scraped down the metal door while your hands shot to the handle. Though the knob turned, when you tried to yank the door open it didn't budge. 

Nervous laughter pushed it's way up your esophagus and through gritted teeth. Completely involuntary but it almost eased some of the tension, _almost._ Again and again you pulled on the handle. Jack just kept on pressed his hand into the door, sliding it ever closer to the knob. 

What was he going to do? Lock it? You could literally unlock it, you were on the inside too.

"Why do you want to leave so bad?" His tone melted into that one of amusement and you remembered how much you didn't want him to be aware of your absolute fear of him. Knowing it was futile and trying to cling onto your act of poise, you stopped the tugging. 

"He brought you all this way, stay awhile." He clasped one gray hand over a pair of (s/c) mitts. Nails curling under your fingers, prying them off the sweaty metal. Not overly forceful but firm, confident. 

You yanked your hand out from under his, getting the point that escape was impossible. In doing so you stumbled back, bumping into his chest. Internally screeching in abject terror, you scampered a few steps away when he mutely snickered at you. Feeling the quaky rumble on your back did a little more than send a chill down your spine. 

Turning to face him, your back his the back of the door. Your body was just a ping-pong ball to be bounced about. His hand still rested upon the knob, caging your right side. The wall pressing into your left. Could say that you were trapped but you had two escape options. Dive between his legs or duck under his arms. It'd been quite awhile since you'd thought about getting your head crushed between anybody's thighs, but this was a different kind of crushing. One that'd have you pop open like a tube of meaty toothpaste. Try going under his arm and he'd probably just snatch you by the neck and get a replay of that memory in the deli.

At last you looked at him, really looked at him other than just be scaredly aware of his presence. The one thing you had observed earlier in your frenzied state was his bare arms, thick and sturdy. Coarse brown hair peppered his forearms, fairly short but thick enough to be visible against blue gray skin. All the while, wearing a wristband that screamed edgy emo phase, black leather with huge silver spikes.

Taking the rest of him in, you could see that the giant of a man was back in his stupid leather pants. How could he stand to wear those things? Stuffed into boots that were chunky but not his usual platforms. Another eye catching detail was the leg harness, he always had to be wearing some sort of strappy thing, didn't he? Wrapped around his lower torso, leading down to two other straps that wrapped around on his upper thighs. Drawing the eye somewhere you quickly jerked your head away from. 

One thing after another with this dude. White v-neck, boring, for once. But it was not without the little bumps on opposite sides of his chest. Did he have nipple piercings? _Oh my god, don't look._

The visual climb up to his face was mentally exhausting as all hell, but you finally arrived, finding it to be the same as always. Sray, drippy, stiffly smiling at somebody else's misfortune. "Think this is yours." He pushed the jacket into your chest, pressing your back further into the door before removing his paw from you. 

Tightly, you robotically blurted out, "Yep." Whilst swinging your jacket onto your shoulders, stuffing your arms through the (f/c) fabric. Thinking of something to do or say to get out of this. What you came up with was a forcibly casual question, "Does he do that a lot?"

"Sometimes he brings me dead rats." Jack began but his overly whimsical wording petered off with your looking around. Head moving about to look for anything to mystically get out of this situation but with someone like him you knew deep down that you would have to _pray_ for mercy _._

"But," You froze up when pleasantly warm fingers came under your chin and turned your head back toward him, "It isn't often he brings me _live meat."_ Blind bastard didn't even need to do it, he just wanted you to see his lip curl back. To see that snarling smile of flesh ripping canines. 

You ground your teeth, heels pressing hard into the ground. Keep a shake from your voice, you told yourself, straighten your back and act normal. "So you don't get many visitors? I thought at least Natalie would swing around, she seems to like you?" Well, there was the tension from before, the abandonment, the sting of betrayal. You got the impression that there was warmth but it wasn't a blazing fire as it'd once been but instead hot coals faintly glowing red.

It was like having someone in your life who'd done you wrong or maybe you were the one who fucked it up. You wanted to text them sometime after years of radio silence just to reconcile and get some closure. Sometimes you'd think about reconnection, but you knew being apart was for the best. Except they were around each other every day, bitterness would be present even in bonding. Soon enough that spark of friendship would really hit and reignite hard and fast. 

_Like in sixth grade when you'd gotten into a fight and didn't talk for two weeks. Jeff apologized by- No. Stop. Keep your eye on the ball._

 _"_ You know exactly what I mean." Jack cut right through your bullshit with a blunt precision, "Are you _really_ trying to act like you're not afraid of me?"

If he was going to play that angle, you'd play it too. Albeit, not as imposingly. "I'm not acting. I'm genuinely curious." Liar, liar, pants on fire.

"Hm." Nails scraped down the underside of your chin, traveling down your neck. Press in too hard and you'd be a goner or without a voice box. 

You'd been pushing your own limits of bravery further and further recently. What was a giant fucking shove? _"Answer the question, Jack."_

"Sometimes people come to visit me as you put it." He actually answered, what a surprise. You expected something haughty about a pea-brained mortal like you not deserving to know a thing about him. Seemed like he was in that odd giving mood he sometimes found himself in, letting factoids slip here and there.

Keep it going maybe he'll buy what you were putting out, "Oh that's n- _Ack!_ "

Just like that his entire hand was around your throat. In your panic you squealed, hands coming up to his wrist and latching on. Nails digging into his flesh, trying and failing to push him off. 

The pressure was gone before you knew it but he kept his hand there, unphased by your adrenaline induced iron grasp. First thing he had to say was, "I didn't know Rake liked squeaky toys."

Fuck him. Fuck him for being so high and mighty. Fuck him for smiling at his own joke.

People liked you better when you imitated their behaviors right? Why not try that, but see if it makes him take you more seriously? You bore your teeth in a lip curling snarl that hardly reached the intensity or impact of his. "I am _not_ a toy." Growling the words was mildly cathartic but you hadn't a rumbling echoey undertone to paralyze him with. "And stop smiling like that! This isn't funny. _You're_ not funny!"

You'd only fueled his grin, getting him to reveal a few more teeth. "I think it is. Always is to play with my food." 

_Don't piss your pants._ "I'm also not your food, or anyone's for the matter."

Through the entire encounter Rake was just excitedly vibrating nearby. Eyes lit up at the sight of his dear friends 'playing'. Since Jack was familiar and something that wouldn't hurt him, Rake was wrongfully assuming that the man wasn't a complete asshole. 

Was kicking at his shins a line you should cross? You were heavily debating putting up a struggle you knew would get you nowhere all for the sake of dignity.

"If I wasn't full I'd take a bite right out of," His pointer shifted off your neck, tapping the slope of your bad shoulder, "Here." Your skin irritatedly twitched, discomfort only seeming to make the rat fucker even smugger.

"I'd lose a lot of blood. You wouldn't want me to die at such a crucial time would you?" _Oh god, oh fuck, please say no._

 _"_ I assure you that you'd be fine." How could somebody use the word assure and be incredibly unreassuring?

"Cool." Was all you had to say to that. Yet your mission of getting his grubby mitt off your neck was far from accomplished, "If you're not going to hurt me and also make me like," You glanced at Rake, walking in circles with his head trained on you two, "Hang out. How about you let go me? So you can er uhm-" Next your eyes fell upon his phone, screen black and quiet. "Go back to what you're going and pretend I'm not here." You patted yourself on the back internally for that one. Diverting his attention was the only thing you could do until Rake decided your play date was over.

"For someone who doesn't do what I tell them to, you sure want me to forget about your existence, hm?" Condescension hung off his tongues, emphasized by a quirk of his head. 

"If I bother you so much then why don't you?" You flatly fired back.

His hand stiffened, nails beginning to dig into your flesh but not beyond a single millimeter. "Just be glad that my tools aren't in here." He darkly forewarned.

Rake dragged you into this mess but at least he didn't drag you to the deli. Another thing swung in your absolute favor was the fact that Jack's signature trench coat was in need of some serious tender love and care. The jacket that held a scalpel proudly on its upper arm. Nat had made idle conversation with Jane over text that she didn't care if you read over her shoulder about it. Jack had given her the thing to fix up while watching Nina.

You shifted uncomfortably on your heels, softly arguing, "Aren't you sick? I don't think you'd do anything anyway." The man was well aware of his teeth, the fact that he could tear your heart out of your chest without a problem. Either he didn't want a huge mess in his room or he honestly didn't feel like harming you at the moment. 

Bushy brows shot up, "Are you challenging me?"

"No!" Regret immediately smacked you across the face, pissing this man off any further was the stupidest thing you could have done besides freeing Jeff. "I'm just uhhhh- Worried about your health?" Even you wouldn't believe yourself if you were on the other end of that garbage excuse for a lie. 

"You? Worried for me?" Jack scoffed, sliding his hand off your neck far too slowly. "Are you sure you're not the one who's sick?" For the life of you, you could not tell if he was playing with your or actually believed it.

"I feel fine." Legs were shaking, teeth were chattering, and you were masking your stressed stims as hard as you could. You felt compelled to try to further sell your act, "Do you?" 

Black sludge slapped onto to floor between you two, thickly splattering onto the toe of your left shoe. Would that wash out or even dry? The sound grabbed your attention but Jack didn't care a single amount about it, droning, "I ate well over ninety pounds of human flesh in the past week. What do you think?"

"Bad."

"Exactly." Seemingly satisfied, Jack moved back. Not without warning, "I'm not in the mood to chase after you. Don't even try for that door again and don't touch anything." Internally you celebrated victory, you sort of talked your way out of something really bad. Fucking genius. 

"I won't." You carefully confirmed.

Rake audibly squealing when Jack finally turned tail and briskly patted him on the shoulder. "Calm down. We're not going out."

"Wrraahh." Rake whined, ceasing his receptive circles. 

"I know, I know." Jack sighed, sitting back on his mattress with his shoes still on, gross, "But if you want to go hunting you can."

Rake thumped his back right leg onto the cold floor, "Waaah!"

"I'll make it up to you later. Thought you wanted us to all hang out?" 

The bony monster clambered on over to you, tapping a claw lightly at your feet, "Chrrrit?"

Jack lightly chuckled, "No."

He tapped again, harder, "Chrrrrt?"

"She can't come."

"Rrrrit!" _Tap._

"Not happening."

_Tap, tap, tap. "_ Raaaa!"

"(Y/n) is _not_ coming with us to hunt. I doubt she'd even want to. Isn't that right?" Jack passed the confusing conversational ball onto you with the underlying expectation that you'd be on his side.

"Uhm, what's going on?" You asked, fidgeting with the lowest pin on your jacket.

"Rrrit!"

"He wants to take you hunting. You know, killing people, maybe snacking on the way back." The man explained like he was asking for a glass of water. "I'm assuming you'd rather not."

Hate to say, you agreed. "Sorry man," You sighed, forcing yourself to look into Rake's reflective saucer eyes and truthfully tell him, "I'm not interested."

"Waaah."

"She'd just slow us down, it's better this way."

You snapped your gaze up to Jack's lounging form, tempted to say that you wouldn't. Rationality was quick in shutting you up, you were _not_ going to challenge him again. The scenario where it led to you tagging along to a murder was horrible and very possible so you swallowed a shred of pride and pursed your lips.

"Crrrrr." Rake relented on the idea but you were still around to play with. Tips of white fingers pulled gently at the knee of your pants, "Raa?" Head jutting toward the bed where Jack was half laying.

You dug your feet into the floor, "I'm good, thanks." Internally begging your fleshy buddy to not drag you over there against your and Jack's mutual wishes.

"What?" The man himself chimed, lopsidedly smiling, and crossing his strong arms over his chest, "Too scared to come closer?"

"You just told me not to touch anything." You deadpanned.

"I never said you couldn't walk around. That includes coming closer like he seems to want." 

The door was the closest yet an unusable escape, but not the furthest spot away from him. But there was no way you'd wander too far from your useless safety net. A single step was all you could take, unsure and louder than you'd expect. "There. Closer."

"That's it?" He challenged, idly tapping the toes of his boots to the floor. "He clearly wants us to be closer, look how happy he is." Happy was an understatement, it was more like Rake vibrating in place.

"Kinda sounds like you want me to be closer." You blandly pointed out, Natalie's image floating around in your head. Something was telling you that if she was here she'd think that was smooth or cool or something.

"That's not the case at all."

Blinking, your face contorted in confusion, "Then why do you keep trying to get me to come over there? Like, are you trying to scare me or force me to be braver or what?"

Took him a good few seconds to process what you'd said before he rebutted, "By be braver are you implying that you're afraid of me?"

Irritation was already well within your system but his weird obsession with you being afraid of him was really getting under your skin. Sure, you wanted to scream hysterically and run away, but you didn't want him to get that sort of satisfaction. Firmly, you delivered the news, "I'm not going to say that I'm afraid of you, Jack." 

The second those words you felt immensely proud of yourself and also incredibly terrified that he was going to shoot up and rip your arms off. Instead he sort of deflated. Not relax into his bed and sigh but his puffed out chest fell ever so slightly. He didn't pout, whine, or even fuss, he just shrugged it off a little too quickly, "I don't need you to tell me. I know you do."

"Then why do you keep getting in my face about it?" You pushed a little further, leaning forward and breathing in soupy air.

"Stop testing my patience." The note of finality in his tone put a hard screeching stop to the fire in your belly. Settling back into smoke and glowing embers.

Time crawled on, had to only be a few minutes of you just standing there fidgeting and him supposedly watching. You may have not been allowed to touch anything but that didn't mean your eyes couldn't wander. Drifting off into a daydream sounded nice but that was a willing surrender to the world around you, trusting Jack to not fucking eviscerate you because he felt like it. Even if he was tired, overfull, and still having use for you, you were still deeply wary. Especially since he was such a weirdly sadistic creep.

You wouldn't dare take another step closer but you did open your mouth, "So why do you have a light on?"

Jack 'looked' at you, then Rake, "It's so he has an easier time finding the place."

"I thought he could see in the dark?"

"He can but his vision is bad in the first place. It'd good to have on in case." 

You looked to the monster-thing, he looked back. His eyes were almost like Jeff's. The blind one. Cloudy in the center, edges a murky blue-ish color. "Like, cataracts?" 

"I can't tell," Right, he couldn't exactly see Rake's eyes, "But I do know other things like him seem to rely on light and heat more than anything." Really must have been in a talking mood if he was being so bold to tell you that out there in the world, more seven foot plus tall monsters existed. 

Fear aside, you couldn't help but be intrigued, excited even. Without a phone to look up weird Norse mythology, Jack and Rake were right here, oddities in their own monstrous rights. "There's more?!"

Idly rotating the bracelet by it's spikes, Jack flatly said, "You say that like it's a good thing." 

"It's interesting, but I don't think it is?" You mumbled, observing the bony thing.

Warning made perfectly clear by the way his lips curled back, hammered in by his stern tone, "Don't refer to Rake as an it. And he is _not_ something to be called _interesting."_

Taken aback by his sudden defensiveness, you tried to explain, "Oh, I didn't mean it like that-"

Jack pushed himself, sitting up on his palms. At attention and stiff, he coolly demanded, "Then what did you mean it as? Do you just see him as something to observe? Or do you think that he's a dog?"

"No, no, not at all." Shaking your hands and head, you scrambled to explain yourself to someone you apparently didn't care for, "It's like meeting someone with an interesting personality, you wanna learn more about 'em. I know he's not a dog, a dog's never written the last time I've checked."

"Then you see him as a child because he has the mind of a five year old." He laid out matter-a-factly.

"He has the mind of a five year old?" Echoing the statement, you looked to Rake, much bigger than any child you'd ever seen. Lot more murderous too. "Is he a kid or something?"

"No."

"Do you know how old he is?"

"No." 

"Then how do you know he has the mind of a five year old?" You paid acute attention to the air around you, if it were to grow thicker or thinner. It stayed relatively the same for now. 

He annoyedly explained, "There's plenty of animals people have figured out have the intelligence of a child." 

You sucked on your tongue a moment before asking, "How do you know that?" 

"Testing." 

Before you thought about basic problem solving things like what ball is under what cup, you thought about Rake struggling to hold a pencil and do basic math. "Does that mean that you think he's an animal then?"

Third time's the pissed off charm, "No. Do _you?"_

You may have been ass at picking up social cues but the way the air grew half a degree hotter, you knew that you best tell the truth. "Not at all."

He pursed his lips but somewhat relented, "Good. If you did see him that way I'd probably go back on what I said earlier."

_Touchy._ "Ahahaha, I really don't see him that way." You pressed your pointer fingers together, twisting them opposite ways just to feel skin on skin contact. Comfort from a living that when you were too afraid to reach out to Rake because papa Jack would have something to say about it. "Like he's cute but not in an animal way, he kinda has killed things in front of me."

"Then why do you seem to be so attached? If he disgusts you that much." Man, he was really reaching for you to say all sorts of things. Admit fear, admit you see Rake as a brainless animal. Why was he so prickly and intent on getting insulted?

"Because he was there for me after _that."_

"I've been around and you're still afraid of me." He pointed out, as satisfied as the cat that ate the canary. 

"He's comforted me, that's what I meant. I just try to not think about the rat stuff. Not very uh- Fun."

Jack smiled, lightheartedly jabbing, "Oh, so just because we kill things we're not desirable to you?"

"I'd rather not think about that sort of thing." _Noah, Noah, Noah. Jeff._

Silence fell over the three of you, thick with a lot of things unsaid. Sometimes the quiet was nice, sometimes it was unbearable, loud in an unexplainable way. Didn't come around often with these people, chatter, dripping, tick tocking. Rare, pleasant, but whenever Noah or Jeff wormed their way into your brain, you needed to talk about anything but them.

"Hey so, what's the deal with the rope?" You asked, eyeing the trunk.

Jack perked up a bit, snorting, "If you don't know already, then you don't need to know."

"Cool?" You blinked. That was a bust. What about something you both knew something about? Like gods. Old ones, not Norse but ones you'd found when down a rabbit hole. One that you knew a sliver about only because it's wiki page was the equivalent of a paperclip and a box of matches. "Hey so, ya'know how you're like a god?"

"Thank you for reminding me, I forgot." He sneered. 

_Rude._ "Uhm so, I have a question?" If you got this right you might actually lose your shit in a good way. One win, one little victory, that's all you were asking the of the world.

"It better be a better one than that." 

"Mrrrip?"

"Excellent question. No."

Rake's thin shoulders fell and he scratched at the floor, "Raaaaa." 

"Is he still on about the hunting thing?" You asked, tempted to pat him in Jack's presence.

"Yep."

You took the face flat fall of the conversation to ask your question, "Are you Chernobog?"

Jack coughed out a hardy laugh, resting a hand upon his shaking stomach. Whole body shaking with the sound that just hardly vibrated the floor. "You think I'm that _pathetic?"_ He barked tauntingly between cackles.

"Huh?" 

"You-" He wheezed, sounding like a stabbed tire. "What makes you think _that?"_

"Well, I had this notebook back home where I'd write about cool stuff." It was mostly filled with quotes from cryptid sightings, little doodles, and grocery lists. It was a relic of a past time when there was nothing else to do, but Jack definitely wasn't interested in that. "But like, Chernobog is like the god of bad fortune and evil if I recall correctly. Something about feasts? A cult? People with skin like yours. I dunno. Just kinda sounds like you." You were starting to get embarrassed, must have sounded like a fool. 

Laughter may have wound down but his smile did not waver. "Aah, I haven't heard that name in a long time. Thanks for the laugh but no, I'm not _that_ weak. I will give it to you though, I do have a cult following."

Processing that when you knew he wasn't fucking around was like getting hit by a freight train but living. Knowing something was deeply, horribly wrong but you'd been knocked so out of sorts that you couldn't fully understand. But at the same time, you got it. 

_"_ Oh okay, not Chernobog- _WAIT, YOU HAVE A CULT?!"_ You nearly jumped out of your skin at the slow revelation.

He snickered, "Took you long enough. I do."

_"I was just listing stuff. I- Wha- Since when!?"_

Jack was getting a real kick out of your interest and shock, smirking and saying, "Since awhile ago."

Teasing bastard wouldn't tell you so you had to ask about something else. "Okay, then what are you?"

His voice dipped low, levels of discordance riding high _, "Something powerful."_

 _"_ Did you know Chernobog or something?" You asked, trying to play off the chill that ripped down your spine.

"No, no," The very idea was dismissed with a wave of his hand, "I just know of it. It's never had enough reach or influence to gather a following big enough for it to make a-" He paused, hands closing into fists before he curtly finished, "To _manifest._ I don't believe many have the numbers I do, could be that I'm the only one. Dunno."

"Huh." You thought aloud, "Are Jane and Natalie in your cult?" The floodgates had opened and it was time for twenty-thousand questions, "Am I in your cult because you've consumed my blood?"

"No and no."

Jack's indulgence of your inquiries only fueled you further. "What's the cult like? Why haven't I seen them around before?"

He tensed, like a rubber band right before snapping, "They're nowhere near me if I can help it."

"Oh, wh-"

"Shut up." Jack snarled, suddenly in a lot less of a jovial mood, "It is beyond your pathetic human comprehension. All you are is talking food."

You'd no idea where this sudden shift came from, it was fine before. "I'm not food. I'm (Y/n)." You retaliated in a huff.

_"Meat is meat."_

His teeth bearing audacity pushed you off the edge, "Do you just view all people as food? Walking, talking, feeling, family-having food?"

"People are food. So I see them as it." 

That was far too simple for the moral quandary that was literally consuming another living being. There had to be more to it than an answer as curt as that from such a complex creature that was on the same mental level as those he ate. "Do you see Natalie that way? Aren't you friends?" Sort of.

Now you were _really_ playing with fire. And Jack really didn't like that, strongly pushing himself off his bed and growled, " _I don't care about anyone but m-"_ He paused, in the middle of unfurling up to his towering height. Sharp nose twitching. " _You, come here."_ Velvety voice thickly beckoning you but your legs stayed rooted in place.

Heart thumping in your chest and adrenaline rushing through your veins, you were about ready to run. You slowly started to inch your hand toward the doorknob. 

Scaly blackness shot out from the lower back part of Jack's shirt. Before you could even turn around and bolt, it whipped around your torso in thick coils and yanked you backward like a fish on a hook. _"No!"_ Your protest and accompanied squirming did nothing to help, body brought before him. Lifted up so high that the top of the ceiling grated against your scalp.

Face about even with your dangling feet, he was just asking to get kicked. Once, twice, three times you tried to get him square in the nose before he grabbed either one of your ankles. Flatly telling you, "Quit it." Not letting go without a quick lung crushing squeeze from the appendage. 

You were about ready to start kicking again when he lifted the cuff of your right pant leg. A sticky wet something dragged along your ankle and a sudden pain made your skin twitch under Jack's light touch. Looking down you found that layers of flesh had been sliced open on the very side of your ankle. Blood trickling into your sock unnoticed. A minuscule blue glint shone toward the back end of the scrape.

You gasped, "Bong glass?!"

Jack raised a brow, starting to walk him and you toward the trunk. Inching your head away from the ceiling much to your relief.

"Bong glass?" He echoed, much calmer than before but still with a stern brow, "How did you manage that?"

"I threw a bong to stop a fight." You admitted, watching him pop it open to reveal black, black, white, red, and more black. Atop the stacks upon stacks of clothing was a first aid kit. "I thought you didn't have any of your uh, tools." 

"That sounds counterproductive." He hummed, grabbing the thing and setting you to sit upon the table. "And I meant things that could bring you harm." In your mind's eye you envisioned a bone saw, rusty pliers, and comically oversized tweezers. The stars of medical horror. "This is just," He began, popping the kit next to you and opening it up, "Alcohol swabs and bandaids. What? Are you afraid of those?"

You shifted as to not knock anything over. Freezing up while paradoxically relaxing into his warm hands as he lifted up your calf. "No. I am not afraid of alc- _YOWCH!"_ Sharp yet lighting quick pain shot up your leg when he began pulling the glass out without warning. At least he used the provided tweezers and not his long nails. 

Chuckling, and placing the bloody glass onto the table, he mused, "Hm, seems like you are. "

"You surprised me. That's all." 

"Uh-huh, sure." 

Jack carefully observed your leg as best as a blind monster with extensive medical experience could. Which was thorough, precise, and decently speedy. Soon enough he was cleaning the wound off and again you squawked, louder this time because alcohol swaps on an open wound felt like getting slapped thirty consecutive times in a row, all in five seconds. 

"Don't take this the wrong way." Jack spoke whilst peeling off the back layers of a bandaid, "I don't care about you. I just don't want you to get gangrene." 

"I could have done it myself ya'know." You half-questioned him, mostly just partially peeved that he thought you incapable of taking care of an itty-bitty wound.

"I'm the expert here. Shut your mouth." With that, he very carefully laid the bandaid onto the cut. Being gentle enough to set your sensitive nerves off too badly.

After that he just let you sit there, leaving your side in favor of sitting on his bed. This time putting his book back on for all of you to listen to together. Dare you say, you were starting to believe that Jack too wasn't all bad. In fact, he just seemed generally pissy, but also like someone who could use a friend. You recognized loneliness when you saw it. Someone else could too, making an effort to sit by your feet. A lot happier that his two favorite lonely souls were together.

You'd heard Rake purr before but when it was next to you, you'd been able to feel the rumble through his skin. This purring was without the shake or as loud. Deeper in pitch, different. But there was nothing else in the room that you knew of that could purr like that.

**Authors note: Ay, pspsppspspspspspsps. Come'ere. We have a discord server. It was made a few months back for Spill Your Guts, hence the name. Since it's completion, the server has become a place were we discuss our other fics. As well as plenty of other things. Basically, it's a group chat of sweet and genuine people barking at one another and being friends. We're very welcoming of new people so please, consider stoppin' by.** **[discord.gg/M9ThQjN](https://discord.gg/M9ThQjN)**

**Don't join if you're okay with offender man. We don't find romanticising sexual assault okay. You can not reclaim something with such vile intent and origin. Thanks.**

**Some more general info if you're on the fence!! An introduction is mandatory even if you're just gonna skulk. Rest of the rules are posted in the server. The server is active everyday at the moment. It's an enviorment where creativity is encouraged!! As for fics, we notify members when the next update is up and discuss details of them in there. Our next fic (House Of 1000 Corpses) was birthed by the server and honestly, they've suggested a lot of fun scenes that we've put in the fics. There is an NSFW channel for users 18 and over. If you wanna come in and just bark at people, fuck yea baby!!! Go crazy.**

*** Pounds my fists * Be our friend! _Be our friend! BE OUR FRIEND!_**


	29. 28 - Lost 'N Found Family

**Content Warning: NSFW mentions (Sex is talked/joked about but nothing actually happens) Use of the D slur.**

You hadn't the slightest clue how long you listened to that book with Jack. Since you came in somewhere in the middle, void of context, you had hardly any idea what was going on. Something or other about a bug. At least it wasn't the most dreadfully boring thing you'd ever heard, but it had an air of something a college English professor would assign students to analyze. 

Though you kept your eye on Jack for comfort's sake, you had to admit that this was a lot better than sitting by Jeff. Liu too. He was a lot more intense than before, you didn't like that sharpness to every word, the staring when he thought you weren't looking. With every passing day, he'd rotted away from being somewhat of a comfort and more of a pursuer. You made a mental note to watch your back around him. Just because he hadn't acted on his violent impulses yet didn't mean that he never would. Didn't want anyone to end up on the wrong end of his pistol. 

Tense as you were, the time passed far too quickly. When Jack got up, telling his phone to pause the book, you knew it was time to get back to work. 

"We're not done with the book yet?" The excuse was obvious even to yourself. Growing as a person was cool and all but you didn't want to be around that rotten body. Afraid that he'd wake back up, that he'd get out and cut you open. Tell you how fucking useless you were while you clutched onto your sliced open belly. Small intestine slipping out between your middle and pointer. 

"We can finish it later." Jack simply stated, stuffing his phone into the pocket of his leather pants. 

Together? That sure sounded like something a supposed loner wouldn't say.

"I still don't know the beginning." If you were willing to casually argue with a God, then you were really far gone, weren't you? You hated Jeff _that_ much. 

He sighed, "We'll start from the beginning then. Come on. I'm not leaving you in here alone with my things." 

Bound by obligation, you hopped off the table while commenting, "I'm not going to steal anything from you, but okay." 

"I never said you would. I just don't want you in here longer than you have to be." Jack rebutted, already opening the door to freedom. On second thought, you wanted out of here. Away from his rude ass.

Rake hopped up from his laying position and stretching out his haunches. "Grraaaa."

"Later." Jack replied to his pale pal, "Trust me, I'd rather sleep this off but I have a feeling that if we aren't watching one of them within the next five minutes; Jane is going to blow up my phone." He said it with a wheeze of a laugh like her perturbed annoyance was the most amusing thing in the world. 

He was almost right. Jane dialed him after only two minutes of traveling towards Claire's. Sure, you could go back to Spencer's and be the mediator for adult children, but you were a little too mentally drained for that. You followed Jack, finding yourself smiling when his phone robotically said, _"Incoming call from Bossy."_

For a solid forty seconds, she went on and on about how irresponsible and lazy he was. She didn't give a damn if his head was pounding or not, he had to contribute in some sort of way. He just smiled as you got closer and closer and she went, "Oh." When she felt the tremor of the earth. "Well, walk faster." Then she hung up.

When you found yourself snickering along with Jack, you paused. _What the fuck was wrong with you?_ You unfroze quickly, telling yourself to stop questioning your feelings. As a human, you craved companionship wherever you'd get it. Especially in such a strenuous time. Fighting it would only make life more miserable than it already was. 

"Where's he going?" You asked when Rake rattled out a goodbye before scampering away.

"I donno. He's an adult, he can do what he wants." Jack flatly replied, touchy as ever when it came to his companion.

Know it all mode, activate! "Didn't you say that you didn't know how old he is?"

Jack didn't respond to that, he just stomped on into Claire's. 

A flatly annoyed voice groaned upon your dual arrival, "Finally." 

Jane had sat beside the chair Nina was tightly bound to. On her lap was intricately woven strands of (f/c) wool. Hardly a few inches in length. Beneath her was a blanket, handmade from the looks of it. Kept her nice clothes from having to come into contact with the filthy floor, legs delicately tucked under herself.

"Miss me that much?" Jack teased, leaning himself on the doorway. You passed him by despite the way your skin prickled at the sight of Nina. Hate hot in your blood. You sat against a wall, shuffling away from a particularly dirty spot that you were afraid to touch.

"No." 

"Then why were you so adamant on me coming up, hm?" He pressed her further, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Fingers drumming idly on his bicep that you definitely weren't admiring.

"I don't want you to get into the habit of being useless." She hissed, looping one string of wool through another. 

"Are we even needed here?" You piped up without even thinking about it. They looked to you, Jane's gaze piercing even from behind mesh fabric. "All you have to do is have one person on watch for either one of them and just call the others up if something goes wrong."

"It's best not to underestimate them. One person is a liability if they're taken out or without a phone, we could be in trouble." 

"Not me." Jack proudly announced.

Jane huffed, "We get it. You have an ego." 

Guess today your head was empty because you spoke without thinking once more, "So do you." 

"Excuse me?" Jane snapped, ceasing her leisurely activity.

"You have an ego." You clarified, "I'm just saying."

"No I don't!" She gasped.

You shrugged, explaining simply, "I think if you kill other people or let them die for your own goals; You absolutely have an ego." 

Jane's shoulders tensed, fists clenching around her knitting needles. "Says the person who was friends with that _thing._ Why didn't you stop him from becoming that, hm? Oh! I guess it's because you have an ego."

Lips tightly pulling back in a frown, you were tempted to grab a handful of mold and throw it at her. Instead, you resorted to clenching and unclenching your fists, practicing counted breaths. Something someone taught you, someone who _he_ took from you. "I'm not in charge of him, never was."

"Defending yourself, are you? Sounds like an ego trip to try to justify that." She childishly snapped.

"That's not- Ugh. I'm not his babysitter. He does what he wants because- Because- I don't know! Do you think I'm his mom or something? I'd say ask her but she's dead!" You hissed right back almost just as immaturely. All this pressure on your shoulders was having you pricklier than ever and honestly, you couldn't blame yourself for not being completely composed all the time. Everything sucks! 

"Did you really not notice anything was wrong at all?" Jane pressed, stepping onto sensitive territory. "I honestly think that it's impossible to be that inept. The fact that there's someone who exists that could have done _something_ to him so that my family wouldn't be dead, but you did nothing."

You scoffed, forcing a laugh, "Are you actually kidding me?"

"No." She shook her head, "I'm not."

"Firstly," You held up a finger for every point, "I was a literal child. How do you expect me to know completely what's going on around me? Secondly, I'm fucking autistic, and picking up on what the media called 'glaringly obvious' is really fucking hard for me, okay? Like yeah, I get that I impacted him but like- I'm not responsible for an entire other person. You can't just put your dead family on my shoulders. I don't even know who they are."

Jane's shoulders shook, the fabric of her gloves squeaking while her grip only grew harsher. Then, like a flip of a switch, her shoulders slacked. Reasoning finally kicked in, didn't it? 

"Right." Was all she said. Better than a continuation but it wasn't an, _'I'm sorry.'_

Silence settled over the group for a moment before Jane got back to her idle work. Jack shuffled around his pocket to look for his phone. Hopefully, he'd put something on, you were dreadfully bored. Being alive was great and all but things were dull when you didn't have much to do besides stand around. Most of the time you felt completely shitty or completely bored. You wanted something to do with your hands other than fidget. You wanted to watch something that wasn't dust settling. 

It all started with a sigh. Then came the names rolling from her tongue, an air of bitter familiarity, "Maria Arkansas, Joel Arkansas, Marco Arkansas, Sofia Arkansas."

You weren't dumb, you knew who she referring to. At least now you sort of knew about them without any context. You didn't get the point of saying names and then nothing after, but alright. 

"I'm sorry for your losses." Was all that you felt was appropriate to say even if you hardly could process feeling too bad for people you'd never meet. 

"I don't need your pity." 

Teeth clenched at her abrasion. Always a hard ass, always the diva. "I don't pity you. It's common courtesy. Ever heard of it?"

"No." She firmly denied.

"I can tell." Jack interjected, hand leaving his pocket empty. Must have decided that now wasn't the best time to put on a story. Bickering and petty drama seemed to entertain him more anyway.

Jane grumbled, "Shut your mouth." Completing a line of yarn and building up the next.

"No." He echoed. 

This had the makings of an argument in your head. Only an hour or so ago did Liu and Natalie nearly kill themselves over an emotionally charged squabble. You jumped on the ticking time bomb as soon as you grew vaguely aware of it.

"Hey! So, what about her?" The first topic that slipped off your tongue was Nina. After they left your mouth you curled your noise back, sourness forming a disgusting film over your tongue. 

"Little miss scene?" Jack inquired. You nodded. "What do you mean?"

"Is that what you call her in your head?" Jane jabbed, needles softly clacking together with a slip of her hand.

"Maybe."

Your muscles softened, looks like they might be back to pettily snipping at one another. Changing the topic was a viable option but it was a less than comfortable one. Well, you were already traumatized might as well exhaust every option and avenue of topic having to do with said trauma to try to cope! "Her family. Does she even have any?"

Jack laid it out simply, "Most likely scenario is that she killed them." 

"Could there be someone out there for her like Liu?" Enamel felt cold between your fingers, but the ridges and valleys of cartoon monsters were pleasing.

Uncrossing his arms, Jack waved his hand back, speaking mindlessly with his hands. "Probably not. We would have seen them by now." 

That's rough but you were wondering about something else, "By now? Is that long time to be a 'meat puppet', as one of you put it?"

"Think that was Nat." 

"It was. But honestly, that's nothing really." There Jack went, ruining another moment with just his words. Back in your head was the brown haired kid in a white hoodie. "You should see how old some of them are."

An image of an old man beating someone to death with a cane popped up. You cracked a smile, "What's the oldest one you've ever seen?"

Jack tightened his lips into an indifferent slant, "I can't be too sure but if my theory is correct, it's not pretty." He swung his boot outside the threshold of Claire's, stomping twice before stilling. Waiting to see something before he relaxed at whatever it was.

"I can't even imagine." Word fell robotically passed your teeth, well practiced conversational fluff. Curiosity had you on the brink of asking Jack what it's like. Being a proxy, what **he** looked like, the whole shebang because honestly, for all this talk of getting fired by a boss. You hadn't seen a single wink of **him.**

"Hey Jack."

"Hey (Y/n)." 

"That thing the uh, boss? Am I ever going to see it?" Tentacles, bear hands, sixteen mouths, invisible puppet strings handing from spindly claws. You were sure you had the perfect image of that monster in your head.

"It's possible." He shrugged stiffly.

"Hope that you don't." Jane interjected, "It's a terrible experience."

You'd been through hell and high water. How bad could it really be compared to everything else? "What's it look like?" You really wanted a confirmation on your imaginary monstrosity.

"Tall. Skinny. Pale. Business casual." Every point had her voice growing darker and more hateful. 

"Sounds like Rake with clothes." You proclaimed, hardly able to conceptualize what she meant. 

Jack shivered, "Ugh, I can't get that sound out of my head."

"God, don't remind me." Jane groaned.

"What?" Felt like an inside joke and you didn't appreciate being left out.

"He had a phase just before you came. Wore sneakers everywhere. Even when they were too small and literally falling apart because of his claws." Jane recalled, running a hand through her hair absently. 

"On all his feet?" You blinked, finding that a grin was growing on your cheeks.

"Unfortunately yes. Imagine a horse but faster." Jack elaborated, gesturing a crawling motion with his hand.

"And would fall way more often."

Jack laughed to himself, "I don't miss that."

For some time you all went back and forth like that. It was nice. You felt yourself starting to really let go, arms moving about and heels rocking. Jack and Jane snipped at one another ankles quite often but when you asked about it, they gave you vague responses. So you could not tell if they were frenemies or just naturally mean people who were friends. Par for the course with you, curiosity crept back up. Thoughts of the bad, bad, things the unmoving body in the room had done to you. Every little detail mattered. All so you could chew it up, understand it, then spit it out.

"Hey, how long has she been one of those thingies? The uhhh-" _Snap, snap, snap,_ then the word came back to you, "A proxy?"

Loop and pull, loop and pull. The process Jane was going through was meticulous but hypnotizing to watch. You almost missed her speaking to you, "She wasn't there when my family died so, no longer than six years."

"I'd guess about four." Jack speculated.

"That's a long time." You said, eyeing the gray man. Background still shrouded in all sorts of mystery. "To be without your family like that."

"Yep." 

Nastily Jane snapped, "I know." 

Out of seemingly nowhere, Jack pointedly jabbed at her, "So do I, so does (Y/n) in a way. You don't need to act like you're the only one."

"What do you know about family, huh? Never heard you talk about it and Nat never told me anything."

"She didn't tell you? Huh." Jack almost laughed at that, "Trust me, I know plenty." He was going to get stabbed you could _feel_ it.

"I _highly_ doubt it."

Your neck was starting to get sore with all the back and forth, ogling at whoever was talking to try to read the mood. 

"Did you have five little sisters?" Jack emphatically asked. Were there five gray ladies out there runnin' around eating organs? 

Jane somewhat deflated when she was hit with the fact that Jack was more of a family man than he let on. Still, she pressed on, "One and my little brother but they died screaming so I-"

"My family might as well be dead if that makes you feel any better." The interruption was laced with an undermining overtone. "I can't see them, no pun intended, ever again."

Other than trauma, you hadn't felt much more solidarity with Jane but the kind you felt right now. Mutual confusion.

"Oh boohoo, at least they're alive." Jane snidely sneered, needles moving faster and faster. Knots getting sloppy.

"And they think I'm dead. It's not like I can go say hi while looking like this." No more organ eating gray people were out there you supposed. Just the one. 

"That's sad and all but you sound ungrateful as hell."

For a short second, Jack paused to process what she'd said. Then he spat, "You don't need to be so bitter about it all the time." You looked bug-eyed at Jack, did he have a death wish? Or more realistically, a desire to have a knife stuck in his gut. He didn't shrink in the slightest at her head snapping his way, "It's bad for your skin." 

Jane rode her hand up the hem of her dress, stopping at her upper thigh. You were staring out of curiosity that was it. Before you hadn't paid much attention to where she kept her knife but now you could clearly see it was attached to a thigh holster. Quick as lightning the blade was whipped from it's spot, reeled back, and catapulted at terminal velocity toward Jack.

Your heart just about stopped watching it spin toward him, only catching the after image. Helpless to the incoming violence. 

**_THUNK!_**

Embedded handle deep into the doorway sat Jane's blade. Jack's head had inched itself to the side but he was too lazy and too late on the draw. A fine line of dark black pinpricked from his upper cheek. 

"How's that for your skin?" Jane barked. 

_She is so dead._

"Some tabloids would say good." Cool as a cumber, Jack pulled a little fabric rag out of his pants pocket and gently dabbed at the cut.

You blinked, mouth wide open. Dumbly asking, "Is that sterile?"

"Yes actually."

Jane set her craft project on the ground, rising to her feet and walking closed-fisted toward him. 

You shouldn't have felt responsible for two grown ass adults but you would rather not see anymore blood than you already had. "Hey guys! So how about the weather?"

They collectively ignored you. Smartly, you relented to sitting and not getting involved for now. If it got bad you'd take your sneaker off and throw it at them.

Compared to the massive man, Jane looked like a child asking their parent to be held. She stood on her boots tiptoes, reaching up awkwardly to get the knife out of the wall. While she was yanking it free from the frame, she lowly growled, "Keep your skincare tips to yourself."

Jack spoke condescendingly, leaning over her, black dribbling onto her mask. "You seem to be insecure about _something_ so I just thought you could use them." Without attacking her, he dealt a blow. Shoving her away in an emotional sense after having pleasant-ish jibber jab. Guess his heart only had room for two. Himself and Rake. Lot bigger than he made it out to be but still the size was akin to the Grinch's.

Just like that, the knife was held at his throat. _"Fuck you."_

Nat loudly announced her presence before she was even inside, "What's with no one answering my texts? Can someone switch places with me or not? I can't take another goddamn minute around that dude." 

Internally you were calling bets, the newest one was that Nat was definitely going to stab Jack upon seeing what was going on. No questions asked, just incredible violence.

She stopped a second, taking in the strange sight of a five foot something woman trying to be intimidating to a seven foot tall monster. Then she leached into action, "Move the fuck over gray boy." Nat jammed her open palms into his side, feet sliding across the floor as she tried to move the behemoth. "I'm the only one allowed for Jane to do that to." 

They're all fucking insane. These people are straight out of a WWE match. Absolutely absurd. You couldn't look away.

Jack stepped away from the knife like it wasn't a big deal at all. "Is Liu watching grease ball?"

Nat took her hands off him, leaning against where he just was way too eagerly, "I dunno."

Jack sighed, already walking out the door, "Oh my god."

Not in the mood to entertain, Jane quickly sheathed her blade. You and Natalie not so subtly staring at her thighs. Had to admit, she had nice legs. 

Nat gave her lover a lopsided grin, "Sooo, what's goin' on pretty lady?"

"Not much." Jane grunted, looking around for something to nearly wipe away the black substance with. "He was just being a nuisance as usual."

"If I'm a nuisance would you pin me to a wall or somethin'?" Her hand came up to wipe the goop off her girlfriend's mask.

Jane chuckled leaning into her hand, "Maybe."

You shifted uncomfortably.

Nat brought a hand lazily to her partner's waist, tugging her closer, "What if I-"

You brought a closed fist to your mouth and coughed.

Natalie tensed, a knife pulled halfway out of her pocket before she saw you and relaxed. "Oh! Hey! You should'a said something earlier, didn't see ya. One eye ya'know. I could have killed you." The way she laughed at the idea wasn't very comforting.

Tight lipped, you said, "Yep." 

Things slipped back into how they were before, save for the change of person. Jane went back to work on whatever it was she was kitting. Nat sat beside her, sometimes watching, sometimes playing Woody Block. You looked up at the ceiling, counting the panels, separating them into categories. Whole, cracked, gone, weirdly rotten, and absolute health hazard.

Eventually, you couldn't take it anymore. "I'm bored."

"Hi bored, I'm Natalie." 

Slowly you lowered your head and looked at her with fake un-amusement. She smiled, seeing the way you were fighting to keep a grin off your face to play along. 

"Really though," You droned, "Is there anything else to do?"

"We have a job to do. We shouldn't leave them unattended for too long." Jane sounded like a stiff substitute teacher, the worst kind.

"I know but is there anything like I can do in here. Y'all got something but I don't so-"

"We dunno what you like." Nat said, slowly starting to climb to her feet.

"All sorts of things. There's TV, movies, games, music all that sorta stuff. But I don't know where I'd watch a movie and I doubt you want me on your phone." 

"You're right I don't." Jane flatly agreed.

Nat laughed, "You probably wouldn't want to see my phone either. Consider myself something of an artist with my _work._ Would love to share but when I brought you teeth that one time you kinda freaked out."

You put it quaintly, "Yeah, I'm not a fan."

"Oh! What about your laptop?" Nat exclaimed, eye on her partner.

"What about it?"

"We can watch a movie! We haven't done that in awhile." You instantly perked up at the very idea, hand idly shaking thinking about having something to do.

Jane looked at Nina, breath so slow and unlabored that she looked more like a corpse than anything. She was still, quiet.

"It wouldn't hurt." Jane thought aloud, "Would you mind getting it and some food while you're at it? I'm starving."

"Me too." You said while Natalie was bouncing to her feet.

She snapped a few times, hopping from foot to foot as a warm up, "Alright, alright, I'll be right back!" With that, she made a mad dash to the corridor. 

Needles quietly clacked together while Jane worked away. After a minute or so, she spoke up, "You might as well come closer. It'd be hard to watch something from all the way over there."

"Oh, yeah uh, sure." You pushed yourself to your feet, shuffling halfway across the room before you stopped. Being too close to Jane felt wrong in a way. With all of them. There was an intensity to their presence, came with the territory of being violent criminals.

Jane scoffed, "You can come closer. I'm not going to stab you."

Swallowing a lump in your throat, you came forward a little more. 

"That's hardly anything. Closer. Seriously, you're fine." Insensitivity dripped off her annoyed tone. Odd to hear from an eternally smiling face. 

But it did sound like she really wanted you to get over being so skittish around her. Personally, you wanted to get over it the best you could while not stupidly putting your neck on the line. 

After a moment of trepidation, you muttered, "Alright." Shuffling forward, standing only two feet away from her. Right at the edge of her blanket.

_Pat, pat._ "You can sit just don't put your dirty shoes on it."

Fluffy blackness called to you, looking so comfortable. There was no reason for her to hurt you and it wasn't like you had any stupid ideas. What was a few inches closer anyway? 

You shifted your weight, going to sit when your feet got caught on a divot in the floor. A yelp ripped itself from your throat, body plummeting helplessly in the worst direction possible. Toward Jane. She dropped her needles about to hold up her palms to try to catch you when you landed hard on her chest.

"Oomhf!" 

Dazed, you lay on the solid yet soft surface a moment. Skull shuddering from the impact. You hadn't gotten the worst of it, most of the landing being absorbed by Jane who groaned, already starting to peel herself back. Being used to getting knocked down came with the perk of a fast recovery.

"You alright?" You grumbled.

"I'm fine." Came a breathy response.

It wasn't until a few seconds had passed that you fully processed where your head had landed and why it was so warm, why there was a strong, steady sound of thumping. You gasped, ripping your head up, eyes trained on where your face had just been laying. Covered completely by stretchy black fabric, you could still very much make out the valley between her breasts. 

_"I'M SO SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO! I DON'T-"_

Jane huffed, placing a hand on your sternum and pushing you gently away. "Don't be weird about it."

"I know but-"

"This _never_ happened."

"Right." You shakily agreed, awkwardly crawling back to the opposite side of the blanket. Hot faced with the memory burning even hotter in your head. Embarrassed caution was taken in seating yourself. Taking up as little space up as possible while still getting the benefit of a warm butt and back legs. For once, Jane had nothing to say. Just kept on knitting and waiting. Silence carried on tortuously. You wondered if she was replaying the incident in her head as much as you were. 

Didn't last long when Natalie came scrambling back into Claire's, yelling, _"_ Ayo! Who wants some fucking sustenance!?"

Before you could properly respond, another blanket was thrown directly in your face. A muffled grunt escaped your lips with the soft impact. Natalie cackled unabashedly at you, "Nice reflexes, newbie."

"Thanks." You deadpanned from beneath your cozy prison.

"Nat, you are not starting a fire to cook in here. There's carpet." Jane pointed out while you peeled the thick wool off of your head.

"Don't gotta." Nat chirped, bounding over with a black laptop tucked into her armpit. One by one, she pulled and threw separate single portion bags of popcorn from her pockets. "Processed food baaaaby!" Most hitting their mark that was the empty space between you and Jane. One did smack lightly against your head and you had a feeling it wasn't an accident, but more of her playful hazing. The throwing of consumables didn't stop there, next came three mini water bottles. 

The laptop gently set on the floor before all of you. You and Jane grabbed at a few bags and a water bottle each, setting them on your individual laps. 

"Thanks." You hummed, not scooting away in fear when Natalie gathered up her own snacks and sat herself right between you and Jane.

"Hey, you." Nat whispered, unzipping her jacket and pulling something white and gray out of it. Without explaining, she dropped a spiral bound book onto your lap as well as various crayons, colored pens, and broken pencils. 

You ran your hand over the cardboard cover, "Huh?"

"You said you were bored. Thought that you might want something to do with your hands. Just don't draw over any of my stuff, okay?" 

"Oh! Thank you." Curious, you lifted the cover. If you didn't know Natalie was a blood thirsty murderess, you would have been surprised. First page and already there was a drawn dead body done in green pen. Face lax, eyes unfocused and halfway open, chest a sea of atomically correct green and areas where holes should _not_ be. Still life. More accurately, still death. 

Said she didn't want you to freak about the stuff on her phone then she gives you something like this. How consiensious. At the very least it wasn't the actual photos.

"Your art is-" Words slipped out of your mind upon a turn of a page. Messier than the first, full of smaller conceptual doodles. Scribbled eyes out sockets, stomachs with horizontal slits. 

"Cool right?" Her breath tickled your neck, arm pressed against your own. Leaning over you to get a good look at your reaction.

On the next page was a change of pace. Drawn in red ink was the dried up fountain from downstairs. Simplified lines of President Lincoln looked sideways at you with the same stoic boredom the real thing had. Going further along things did start to get more compositionally chaotic, grins with too many teeth and monsters from her imagination. At least you thought so. But the still lives were a heavily consistent theme. Natalie seemed to have a knack for capturing moments in time.

"Yeah." You mumbled in agreement.

"Few pages from here it gets blank." She informed, tapping the sketchbook's side.

"Got it." 

Impatiently Jane nudged her to get the show on the road. You looked up from the book, curious about what movie was to be put on.

Natalie opened the laptop, tapping away at it's keyboard. All of you were greeted by a home screen of five faces and two cats behind a white box asking for the password. A middle aged woman held the camera at a high angle, black hair on the coily side. Dark skin and bright brown eyes full of life. With his arm around her shoulder and the shoulder of another lady, was a man. Going gray at the the roots of his light brown hair, wrinkles at a turning point where they were starting to deepen with age. He wasn't looking at the camera but instead at the woman without a face.

Jaw length waves of black framed the white blob above her face. What you could see was the skin of her neck and bare hand peaking around another person's shoulder. Unscathed and smooth, leaning a little more toward the man's lighter complexion. The only odd coloration on her was her purple nails. Next to her was a boy who had to be no older than fourteen, he had a tooth gap, close cut hair, and a white and gold jersey that read out a bold number eight. Popping into the side of the frame with a goofy grin was a girl of dubious age, either she was twenty with a baby face or thirteen. Spitting image of the older woman save for the twenty to thirty years of age she had over the girl. Hardly in frame were two little uninterested looking faces, siamese cats. Classic nuclear family. 

You glanced at Jane while Natalie jabbered. White of a similar tone of the one on the screen was quirked toward you. An odd wave of guilt washed over you when she looked away, grabbing at her wrist and squeezing. You felt like a creepy voyeur for looking, for knowing at some point her skin wasn't so textured, for knowing what her family looked like but not knowing who to place the names on. 

When the odd tension got to be too much, you asked, "What are we watching?"

"Something good, trust me." Natalie laughed to herself.

Jane groaned, "It better not be one of those movies again."

"What's wrong with 'em?" Natalie whined, pulling up Bing. _Disgusting._

You could feel Jane rolling her eyes, "The movies you put on are practically all pornographic."

"I thought you liked Jennifer's Body?" Natalie sounded deeply offended in a hurt sort of way.

"I did but that had more to it than two straight actresses making out for ninety minutes." Jane explained, leaning toward the screen to carefully monitor what Nat was going to put on.

"Just say that you hate gay people, Jane." Natalie teased, smiling when you let out a sound of half laughter, half being in mild shock.

"Okay literally, I'm gay, you're gay," She looked at you a moment, "(Y/n)'s probably gay." Clocked. "I just hate bad representation."

"Me too, but also? I just think it's fun."

"Fair enough." Jane relented with a fall of her shoulders, "Not like I can force Hollywood to take it back."

"Exactly!" 

"They're still plotless and stupid." She berated.

"Yea," Nat dimly agreed, "I just like 'em and you think it's cute when I'm happy about shit. Don't even try to deny that you're not gonna stop me from putting whatever on 'cuz you're _so_ in love with me." Playfully she poked at Jane's porcelain nose.

"Don't push it." She mumbled.

"You're not denying it though." Nat teased, fingers clacking in a series of words, ending in _online free._

Jane didn't argue. They were such an odd couple, you thought. Unstable people in love couldn't ever be a good thing. Not to mention the problems you'd overheard. On one hand, they were a match made in hell. On the other, breaking up seemed like it was inevitable but the thing is with relationships, you didn't know the full story from the outside. You couldn't predict their future as a couple and you told yourself that you'd try to stop thinking about petty relationship drama between your acquaintances. No, that didn't fit. Captors? Maybe. Friends? You wouldn't say so. Closer than an acquaintance but not quite friends, was there a name for something like that?

"Oh, that actually sounds fine." Jane said upon reading the title _A Perfect Ending._

"Heh, yeah." 

The movie started without much of a hitch, though you did have to wonder how they charged the laptop and got wi-fi. Maybe a generator and a hot spot? But those thoughts meandered away when you let yourself get lost in an run of the mill story. It was so much better than nothing though, so it seemed like a cinematic masterpiece to your understimulated mind.

You went back and forth, intently watching a woman be displeased with her marriage before looking at the blank page. Preferred medium in hand, scribbling away and having a wonderful time. In between her commentary about the building tension between a 'straight' woman and a tempting escort, Nat would lean over your shoulder to look at whatever you were drawing. She never made fun of your work, just praised you for whatever you decided to draw. Since she apparently was an artist, she didn't ask you about why something looked off when it wasn't done or if you were drawing anime.

Jane brought up a complaint here and there, mostly about the lines. Stiffer than a dead body after rigor mortis. Definitely a B-movie.

Surprisingly enough Jane got somewhat into the film, scoffing at and insulting Rebecca's shitty husband. Right after she'd sharply criticize the writers for the fetishizing clichés. Fair enough, you were thinking the same thing. Natalie though, she _loved_ it. Obnoxiously talking over the characters while you munched away at your popcorn. Touching you in some sort of way at all times. Legs spread wide, one leaning on you and the other on Jane's. Neither of you complained.

Jane's hand traveled into Natalie's hair, gently twirling coarse strands around her middle and ring fingers. You were pretty sure that Nat moaned when she first started. You cleared your throat and shifted away from Natalie.

Salty snacks washed down by water was the perfect way to try to get your mind off the couple beside you who would be making out right now if you weren't around. During a lull in the building drama you glanced at your fellow movie watchers, surprised to find that Jane's mask was turned toward you. There was no gaze behind the black mesh. Mask moved aside to hide her face so she could indulge in pouring popcorn into her mouth. You held in a snort, that was one way to go about not getting grease on her gloves. 

Once the sun started to set a quarter of the way through the nearly two hour run time, Natalie's head slacked onto your shoulder. When you looked over you found that she was fast asleep. Mouth parted, a hint of droll starting to peak out the corner of her lip. You didn't want to wake her but you weren't too comfortable. Stubbly side of her head irritatingly rubbing against your neck. Weight forcing you to lean to the side at a less than pleasant angle. 

"Hey," Came Jane's voice, quieter and less intense than normal, "Is she bothering you?"

You whispered back in a hushed tone that boarded being obnoxious, "Uhhhh, I dunno? I don't wanna wake her up." Tired surprise lingered in your head, why were you okay being like this?

"She's a deep sleeper, don't worry about it." The weight was lifted slowly off of you.

Sweet relief, you sighed and sat yourself much more comfortably. "Thanks."

"No problem." 

The movie kept on and it was obvious this wasn't going to be a comfortable watch. It wasn't going to scare you, make you think about yourself and the world around you. Instead, it was going to make you sit in a laptop lit room with a bunch of admittedly pretty girls while it played out incredibly homoerotic scenes. Luckily, only one was awake. 

The one who's boobs you feel between earlier and were trying incredibly hard not to think about; When Rebecca slammed Paris against a wall, ripping her shirt off, things got hot and heavy without actually showing anything. 

You couldn't take this shit. Before you knew it, your mouth was open and awkward words were tumbling out, "Hahahaha, I wonder what Natalie would have to say if she was awake."

"Sex jokes and intimate details you would not want to hear."

Air sharply hissed when you breathed in, sucking hard on your teeth. You released the breath with a, "Yea that's probably for the best."

After that, the conversation fell flat but the tension between you two didn't. Paris and Rebecca were like the both of you in a way. Forward, blunt, mysterious around the edges, with an allure that was hard to explain, pretty black hair. Then there was the more rational, normal-ish, fussy, one. And the two of them were just going at it. 

_Don't think about her boobs. Don't even think about boobs. Don't think about being twelve and gawking at things you shouldn't with Jeff. Scratch that, don't think._

 _"_ Why is there moaning?" Came a raspy voice that had you whipping your head around your shoulder. Whip lash tugged harshly at your neck muscles, but it was second place to seeing Nina. Slacked cranium struggling to lift itself, inching up and down in an odd bounce. Reminded you of being stuck in sleep paralysis, hardly moving small parts of your body to regain control. All the while shadowy things watched your helpless body.

Nina swiveled her head to the side just enough for you to catch the corner of her eye. "Are you guys having sex? Right here, in front of me?" The suggestion mixed with a smile made you jerk back. Not out of fear but out of a sudden urge to resort to incredible violence to get her to shut up.

Jane tried to put Natalie down, but it seemed that she wasn't as much of a deep sleeper as she'd said. Natalie jerked upright, eye locking on the screen and she proudly announced groggily, "This is my favorite part."

You decided to hold your tongue. 

Nina didn't, "Oh, you're not having an orgy! Shocker actually because-"

"Shut up already." Jane snapped, setting her project on the blanket. Crumbs hastily wiped off her lap just before she stood. 

"What if I don't wanna?" Nina sneered, her grin glinting in the laptop light. Image slightly shuddering. Sounded, and felt like Jack was coming. 

Jane scoffed at the shaking ground, "For someone who has better than average hearing, he sure doesn't know how to listen."

"Don't ignore me." Nina sharply hissed.

"I'll pay attention to you alright." The goth was by her scene counterpart in an instant, bending over to grab one of the needles. 

"Are you sure you wanna do that?" Half begging, half talking out her ass, Nina continued, "I'm great company ya'know. I'm fun. I'm sexy. And I'm super bored!"

"Can't be bored when you're unconscious." Natalie snarked, not so subtly staring at Jane's behind. You made an effort to not look. Afraid of eyes in the back of Jane's head.

"I'd rather watch you fuck than be sleeping. Eh? Eh?" She winked terribly, looked more like blinking when there was something stuck in one eye. 

"If anything happens between us," Natalie nudged you in a way you thought was playful, "I'll let'cha know so you can be jealous and sad. 'Cuz ya'know, not like you can do that shit with your boyfriend ever again."

"Jeff!" Miraculously she shot up in her seat, invigorated by the very idea of bald-spotted pure evil. "Where is he? Has he said anything about me? (Y/n)!" Bulging eyes greedily took in your silhouette, desperate. Her voice grew soft and kind, like she was speaking to a skittish animal, "He had to have talked to you. Tell me he's okay. Did he say sorry about the stuff he said to me? I know you're mad at me but I _had_ to lead him to your house, he made me do it. I didn't do anything wrong. We're friends, I'd never be a snakey bitch like that."

No respect. No sympathy. Nothing was behind her eyes other than her shriveled brain.

Hate and disgust weighed heavy deep inside of you. Fingertips consciously curling into fists while intrusive thoughts flooded in. The shake of the floor traveled up the soles of your shoes, up your legs, and through your chest. Tingling energy rolled under the palm of your hand, lightly shocking your nerves. Fingers splaying out, electrified and suddenly restless. 

Jane rose, needle clutched in hand. Ready to end the unpleasant encounter until the next time she came to and started running her filthy fucking mouth. Nina's head was pulled uncomfortably back by the root of her ponytail but the needle wasn't shoved into her skin just yet. A smile quivered at the ends of her lip, watching you stomp over like it was a good thing. 

Completely conscious of what you were doing, you raised your palm up. Torso twisting till the skin of your back stretched painfully. Wound up as much as possible, you sprung back around. 

_SMACK!_

The impact was hard and it left your entire dominant hand stinging. In the brief seconds of aftermath, you felt a revulsion due to the damp and warm stuff on your skin. A creamy bronze substance sat on your electrified palm. Hints of a sparkly pink blush had made their home on the center of your hand, dully glistening in the low light. She'd rubbed off on you in a physical sense, but the people around you had left their mark on you in a different way. Normalizing violence and seething hate to such a high degree that someone as chilled out as you bore your flat teeth at somebody. Funny thing was, it didn't feel too bad. She deserved it anyway.

Sharply huffing, you wiped her makeup off on her loose shirt. It disgusted you to touch her but you'd rather not wipe it off on your own clothes. Take a piece of her with you when you wished she'd never been born. Scornfully, you told her, "I'm not sorry this time. Freak." 

"Get her ass."

" _Natalie._ She's having a moment." 

Her head had been snapped to the side, cheek already growing an irritated reddish hue in the shape of your hand. A shellshocked look rested on her face, it gave you a sharp pang of satisfaction.

Plump lips pulled back into a snarl and past gritted teeth came a hateful message, _"You worthless little whore."_

Words boiled up your throat but then, the shaking which had been crescendoing stopped. You could feel his presence behind you. Sightlessly watching every twitch and fidget. You just knew his prolonged silence meant judgment from a higher power. Fine. Let him think what he wants. He was going to eat you in the end anyway.

"Can someone take over downstairs? I don't feel like getting shot again." 

Oh. He didn't care? Why did that feel so bad? Was he not impressed? _Stop it. You don't need to win these people over with violence._

"You're the only one who can afford to get shot." Jane stiffly reminded, probably about ready to already throw something at him. If Nina was flying through the air in the next six seconds, you wouldn't be surprised.

"True, but I don't like it."

Understandably miffed about earlier, Jane shortly told him, "Suck it up."

"No." Jack said whilst approaching her, "Plus, Liu is annoying and the only rational one is the most trigger happy. I'd rather not."

"He also wants to shoot us. All of us. Except, _maybe_ (Y/n) but even then we can't trust him not to be a loose cannon." She pointed out before yanking on Nina's hair to stop a nasty comment.

"Look-" Jack quickly pointed at Natalie, "Don't make a blind joke." She snickered, slapping a hand over her mouth to keep it shut for now. "I know how to read a room. Give him a few minutes to calm down then one of you can go in there and try not to be irritable. Honestly though, I doubt you can."

"I wish he shot you." Jane grumbled.

"Thanks."

"Okay, okay, you guys don't have to say it, I'll go." Despite the fact that she was offering, Natalie made a point to throw her head back and groan.

_"No."_ The three of you deadpanned in near unison. What was she thinking? Natalie was a natural born trouble maker and Liu _really_ had it out for her. She was in the most danger of getting capped in your humble opinion.

"I'll go." Nina suggested, pouting her lip for what she thought was a cute factor. In reality, she looked fucking goofy and even uglier than ever.

Four voices this time, _"No."_

"Just," Nina grunted, struggling against Jane's hold, "Let me go. I'll be good."

"(Y/n), slap her again." Jane's command rubbed you in all the wrong ways.

One hit didn't feel like enough but she seemed like a genuine masochist. You did not want to give her a kick out of your anger. That'd be much worse than getting a quick satisfactory spike in dopamine. "No thanks." You didn't like hurting people. Sure, it was satisfying but you realized how you were sinking to low levels you didn't want to be on. You weren't like them. You never wanted to be like them.

"Suit yourself."

_SMACK!_

 _"_ Ow! Quit it, man hands!" Nina yelped, head turned far to the left. Cheek raw, flushing red much faster than the other. 

"Learn to shut your mouth." 

"No."

_SMACK!_

"Skank!" Nina screeched, head turned to the right. 

Cruel breathy laughter spilled from behind Jane's mask. "Never gets old. Now, where was I?" She put a hand on Nina's neck, pulling her head uncomfortably to the side, leaving her tender flesh venerable for penetration.

Weakly Nina jerked her neck and shoulders, other muscles still fast asleep. "Don't you dare pillow princ-"

"What's that?" Natalie surged forward, poking a red dot on Nina's neck.

Jane glanced down, "Where I stuck her last. Wh- _Ooh."_

"Hands off! I'm warning you!"

"Let me see." Jack moved around your standing form.

"Sure thing, doctor man." Nat pulled her hand away, grinning ear to ear.

You confusedly watched Jack press the pad of his finger onto Nina's neck. "How long ago was her last injection?"

"Get off of me you fucking poser!"

Jane glanced at Natalie before saying, "Ten or eleven hours."

"Well, well." He mused, a smirk pulling back on his lips, sharp teeth bared. 

_"Fuck off! Get away! I'll kill you all!"_

"Isn't that supposed to be gone by now?" You thought aloud. 

"It should be," Jack hummed, "But her connection is weakening."

"What's that mean? How can you tell?" It felt too fast, just the other day she turned her head back around in forty or so minutes.

"She's healing slower. **He** can't get her out, **his** influence is much weaker with me around and I know for a fact that ithates when things don't go the way it wants. Hates slackers even worse." 

"That's bullshit! It's just a pen mark, I draw on my skin all the time!" Nina protested.

In response Jack moved his finger away from the teeny tiny dot, pressing his sharp nail into her flesh. Slowly peeling skin away to reveal red underneath. "Really? Then if this isn't completely healed over in the next few minutes then what would you have to say?"

"Stop scratching me, you fuckbag!"

"God, look at her," Natalie jeered, "She's so fuckin' scared."

"I'm not! You're all delusional! I'm not afraid of anything!" She screeched, eyes watering.

The three of them snickered at her to varying degrees, each laugh laden with a twisted amusement. You really were in ugly company, but you could not seem to feel disgusted by them. You understood this was a good thing, even if being a nutcase wasn't your shtick. 

Bright blue met with (e/c) amidst the humiliating laughter. Cheeks flushed redder, shame, rage, and slap marks. Nina snarled, "What the fuck are you lookin' at you gullible, helpless, stupid little slut?"

The response came out flat, uninterested when she craved the validation that came with rubbing salt in another's wounds. "You."

She hissed, _actually_ hissed, like a cat. 

Jane calmed herself to deliver a firm message, "We get it. You think you're smart. It was a failure on all of our parts but," Her mask tilted toward you, _"It's not going to happen again."_ How leaderly of her to see it that way. Ominus as well, if you tried anything else then your legs would be in splints. 

"Love me a woman in charge." Natalie chimed, disregarding the tense air.

"So does Jeff." Nina's sudden blurb made you feel suddenly very uncomfortable.

"Anyways!" You began, clapping your hands together, "I thought this would take a lot longer to like, have an effect."

Jack was more than ready to move the conversation passed that particular subject. "It is. Under normal circumstances she'd be fine but I speed things along. Just have something _special_ about me."

"Yeah, you are a real one of a kind sonnvabitch alright!" Natalie drawled, admiring the thick line of exposed tissue he'd created.

"How much longer?" Jane asked almost excitedly.

"I'm not sure. Remember this is only a little wound, something bigger would likely still heal at this point. Solid start though." He finished by bringing his finger up to his lips. A pointed black tongue, thin, similar in appearance to one of the tendrils, shot out and quickly lapped up the peel of skin from under his nail. Almost instantly he spat it out. Chunk of flesh landing with a wet slap. "It astounds me how bad you can taste."

"I'll have you know that I taste like strawberries."

"Since when did strawberries taste like the dirt off a penny?"

Nina growled, "I bet you taste like bleach."

"Why do either of you know what those taste like?" You asked.

"You get around in twenty-five years." Jack replied, "Sometimes you lick things you shouldn't."

"I still can't believe that you were that gullible." Natalie wheezed.

He stiffened, snapping far too seriously, _"_ Me gullible? _Never._ "

Not heeding the warning that was heavy air, she kept on joking, "You're just mad that you're not as smart as you act like you a-"

Gray fingers harshly clutched her shoulder, _"Stop."_ Stern, cold, dead serious.

She held up her palms in mock surrender, "Alright, alright."

He didn't acknowledge it after that, other than removing his hand from her jacket. 

You rocked on your heels anxiously, watching Jane with a restless intent. Relief only came when she brought the needle to her flesh, pushing the thick tube of metal beside the pin sized scab. Right before her skin was to break, Jack spoke much more casually, "Wait. We have to feed her and take her to the bathroom." 

Without missing a beat, Jane said completely unironically, "She can starve and piss herself for all I care."

"Babe." Natalie half-laughed, but it was evident that she was skeezed out by the idea of being around fresh urine. 

You took initiative and spoke for her, "Do you want to sit in the same room as pee, Jane?"

"We probably already are. It's just dried up." 

Sudden disgust had you looking around the floor for suspicious yellow-brown spots. None made themselves known at a first glance, but you were still wary. "Ew."

"I don't like her either but I'm not going to starve somebody." Jack was surprisingly humane about the whole thing. All things considered, it was a shocker. 

"Yeah, that's just super depressing and I'd rather just stab her." Nat spoke carefully, still reeling from the hard shut down. "If we like, wanted to hurt her."

"I also object. I'm not into water sports _sooo-"_

Jane sighed, taking the needle away from her skin, "Ugh, fine."

The trip to the bathroom itself wasn't that bad. Lots of stupid chatter, Jane loudly telling Nina to shut up, Jack talking back at everyone with a soft smile, Natalie being Natalie. Then there was you, laughing along like this was just any other day.

Jack stopped outside of the girls bathroom, saying that he'd rather not relive his early high school years. That was fine but you wish he'd untied her before you all went inside. Complaints, confusion, hands aching by the time it took three people to untie one. Then there was dragging Nina's weakly kicking self to a stall, awkwardly standing there with the others, cramped together while she was on the toilet. Jane had said something about making sure she wouldn't be able to grab anything, hurt anyone, or run. You didn't see anything but you wished for nothing more to not be in the stall, hearing the second worst person ever pissing. 

"Hey, do you guys think my pee is too yellow?" Nina asked as Jane used the toe of her boot to flush the toilet.

"I wish we took the needle with us." You sighed.

"God," Jane sighed, "Me too."

Back at Claire's, Nina was promptly knocked out and left to sit in her binds. Jack talked back and forth with Jane about the responsibility of aiding Liu in watching Jeff. They came to an agreement that not enough time had passed for Liu to properly calm himself down. Sounded very stiff to you, like the other was trying their best not to be an asshole for more than six seconds for the greater good.

Natalie suggested he finish the movie with you all.

"Of course it's a forbidden love with a flimsy plot, lesbian sex movie." Jack teased flatly, still sitting himself down next to you to watch. "You're so predicable."

"Okay and? Don't act like you haven't seen Broke Back Mountain a hundred times." Natalie fired back, getting ready to play said movie.

"I haven't."

"Hm. My Own Private Idaho then?"

"Okay yeah."

"Can we start the movie already?" Jane fussed.

"Ya'know for someone who said they didn't like these kinds of movies earlier, you seem real eager to finish it." You cracked on the spot.

She made a few indistinguishable sounds. Natalie barking out laughter like a hyena. "She fuckin' got you dude!"

"No! I just-"

"You just what?" Jack hopped on the friendly-ish dog pile, "Are you gay or something?"

"Literally yes. Are you dumb? But I-"

"Haha! Jane likes lesbian movies! Everyone point and laugh at that big fucking dyke." Natalie gayly teased, pointing and cackling at her girlfriend.

Fingers were pointed, laughs were had, an admittedly bad movie was watched. And for once, you mind wasn't consumed by thoughts of Noah.


	30. 29 - Tit for Tat

**NSFW Mentions**

_Poke poke._

Hardly aware of your surroundings other than the comfortable warmth, you groaned, "Mmph."

_Poke poke._

"Five more minutes." Instinctually, you pulled the soft covering closer to your body before turning onto your side. 

"Rrrraa."

You waved weakly at the sound, trying to get it to go away.

_Yank._

"Gah!" The warmth was gone, ripped out from around you. At long last your eyelids popped open to see Rake bent over, holding your thick blanket carefully as to not accidentally slice it up. He'd learned not to last week when he ripped up one of Jane's hand knit covers into ribbons by grabbing at it a little too excitedly. 

You pressed yourself onto your forearms carefully. Can't get up too fast or you'd bump the top of your head on the underside of the Burger King counter. Surprisingly, that was the worst thing about sleeping in the least moldy available spot. It'd been your 'room' for the past almost three weeks now, right after the lesbian erotica movie night. Had to sleep sometimes or just take a fat power nap out of sheer stress. 

Jane provided you with enough blankets and pillows to get cozy and some basic toiletries for hygiene. Sometimes Natalie, at least you suspected it was her, would leave snacks under your pillow. Not that you needed them because you were well-fed, but it was nice to have something that wasn't soup or pasta. All Jack had given you was a two ounce bottle of hand sanitizer and a wet wipe to clean up your living space. Just one. Dickhead.

Typical for yourself, you fell right into a routine. Wake up mid-morning, shower, eat something small on the way to watch one of them, talk with whoever for ten to fourteen hours with varying results, eat dinner, go to bed. Normally when you got up the sun was brighter, even if it was overcast you'd still be able to see well enough. 

Morning sleepiness induced irritation made you want to snap at Rake for waking you up, but you held it in. He didn't mean to be a bother, most of the time anyway. "Is it time for my shift alr-Oh."

Distant squeaks and skittering claws were plain white noise in this place. You knew of the rat problem but you'd hardly seen any of them. Skittish things they were. But now you got to see _another_ one up close and personal, dead between sharp teeth. 

"You know I appreciate your uhm- gifts. But could bring me a stick or leaf next time?" If you had to see rat guts one more time you were going to sob. Sure, you felt bad for the things but mostly, they smelled and you didn't like blood and little organs laying next to your sleeping head. "Could you not-"

Rake blinked, hardly processing your message before he stepped back and set the animal down. Great. You really didn't feel like picking up another dead rodent but like everything else: You had no choice. Might as well get up and start your day since you were far too awake to fall back asleep now. It was with a sigh that you pushed yourself out of bed, beckoning for Rake to give the sheets back. He passed them to you, bouncing on his haunches.

"Thanks." 

Blankets stuffed back in your hidey hole and rat given a burial in gravel and stray leaves, you could finally get on with your day. Your long, exhausting, restless, day. Least you'd have a few minutes to yourself before you changed into clothing that wasn't yours. The clothes tucked under your arm that smelled of Natalie. Middle school jersey mixed with vaguely scented alcohol markers.

Distant squeaking caught Rake's ear and he ran off to hunt down a poor unsuspecting rat. Hopefully, it wouldn't be on your pillow when you got back.

Routine was nice and you have some good conversations here and there. But you had a hard time not thinking about the fact that eventually, this would be over. Jack was going to murder you after using you as a pawn. Desecrate your corpse by eating it piece by piece. Three weeks wasn't a long time but it was enough for wounds inflected upon Nina to close slower and slower. Enough for Jane's little knitting project to be almost done.

Jeff had hardly been affected, his body freakily functioning nearly the same as normal. Strange that they were operating on wildly different bodily timelines. The few times Nina had woken up she had grown more irritable, shaky, and weirdly sweaty. Not seeing Jeff for such a long time was giving the woman withdrawal symptoms, even though Jack told you it was from being away from **him**. It was kinda terrifying. 

You'd heard through the grapevine that Jeff had woken up a few more times, thankfully you missed it. Felt goofy and depressing that his last words to you were probably going to be, _"Eat shit and die."_ Anticlimactic, childish, lazy even. Far from the worst thing he could say to any of you, even drugged up he knew that. 

Nina ended up who you watched more often and you couldn't tell if that was better for you or not. When she did wake up she was disjointed and tried to refuse food. At least Natalie would lend you her sketchbook to doodle in, sometimes she let you play Angry Birds on her phone. Helped time pass if only a small amount.

Strange as it was, you had more important things to dwell on. What was more deserving of your attention was Natalie standing in front of the door to the showers. Leaned against the wall, personal towel draped around her shoulders and wad of clothing tucked under her armpit.

"Hey." She lazily waved.

"Hi." The closer you came, you started to realize why she was waiting. White noise was muffled blasting through the door, the few working showers must have been occupied. "Who's in there?"

"Hottie and nottie."

"Nottie?" 

"Jack." 

Took you a second before your mouth formed into an O, "You're calling him ugly."

"Uh-doooy." She rolled her eye, "How can you be hot when you're fucking gray? He looks like a walking block of cement, goofy as hell."

"You talk really loud, you know?" Jack called over the running water.

"I know," She yelled back with a smile, "It's on purpose."

"And here I thought that you were naturally annoying." He pettily rebutted.

Nat pursed her lips before turning to the door as if it were him. "Suck my strap dude."

"No you." 

You wheezed, how childish of him. Fueled by your amusement, Nat kept the pissing contest going, "Hah, bet there's nothin' to choke on."

"You think I have a small strap? Do you even _know_ me?" 

She huffed out a laugh, "I know that you don't got anybody to use it on. Fuckin' loseeeeer." You slapped a hand over your mouth, smiling into your palm. Just things as usual with those two.

"Okay rude." He seemed almost defeated before proclaiming, "Mine's still bigger and better though."

Natalie scoffed, a hand slapping over her heart like a Victorian woman about to faint. "No, it is absolutely not! Fucking get out here, get your shit, I'll get mine and we'll compare, yeah? Can't wait to see the look on your face when-"

" _It's too early for this! Shut up, both of you_ _!"_ Jane barked over her partner.

After a moment of mildly shocked silence, Jack continued, "Mine's-"

_"I DON'T WANNA KNOW HOW BIG YOUR STRAP IS JACK!"_

Nat recoiled at the screech but even hesitant, scared, and knowing her, probably turned on; She continued, "Okay but m-"

"You _do not_ have my permission to share that info!" 

She visibly deflated, "Not even a little? Can we compare like- just the tip?"

"No!"

Natalie snapped, "Aww man."

Conversation petered out after that. You were left awkwardly shifting foot to foot, trying not to make eye contact. Afraid that Natalie would start asking you if back home you had a strap and how big it was. 

Awkward, embarrassing, and somehow normal for this crowd. Over the past three weeks, life had gotten admittedly better than it probably should have been. Your shoulder had healed up for the most part, Jane kept you on a steady stream of anti-inflammatories to smooth the process along. Natalie had only grown steadily more okay, rowdy, off-key, and still intimidating, but you had thought a few times before unintentionally that she was your best friend at the moment. Every time you thought that you'd shaken it off, you were far from over the fact she played a part in dragging you into this shit show.

Jane was starting to pull that stick out of her ass. Less short with you, sometimes she even _attempted_ to crack a joke to lighten the mood. Cute in a way. Every time you saw her she was knitting that thingy, mostly (f/c) with bits of color that matched wonderfully with it. Whenever you were on watch with her, she'd put on a movie. It was like a sixth sense for Jack and Natalie to just _know_ when you guys put something on because every time, they'd come on over. Either to ask to trade watch or because they were bored and wanted to bother somebody. Suffice it to say that Liu thought all of you were irresponsible and not taking this seriously enough. Which was true on their part, but what was a few minutes away from unconscious tied up people?

Jack was the same in regards to trying to make you admit that you were afraid of him. Ironically enough, the more he tried to intimidate you, the less scary he got. One time a few days ago, you were so close to grabbing a chair and standing closer to his height so maybe he'd take you a bit more seriously. Oh and so you could choke him like his name was Bart Simpson. In a friendly, joking, but _'please shut the fuck up'_ kind of way. Only thing stopping you was that obnoxiously big choker collar thing he was wearing. You swore if you tried it, you'd impale your hand on the spikes.

Even if he was a complete tool, he was alright. Acting like he hated the concept of friends then making excuses to hang around to watch way more than five minutes of one of the movies. The both of you finished The Metamorphosis last week when you were watching Jeff. Didn't start it from the beginning with any fanfare, just did it quietly like you weren't even in the room. It was a weird story. Guy turned into a bug. Freaky stuff to turn into something like that, to feel your bones moving out of place, to feel your skin harden, to have a face that didn't feel the same as before. To lose yourself in such an invasive and drastic way. 

Rake only got clinger and a lot sweeter on you. Sweet enough for the rat thing to become normal. 

Then there was Liu and his alters. Ezekiel hadn't been around much. Sully was fronting more often than not. When Liu was out, it got _bad._ He didn't attack anyone, but he was on edge. He didn't sleep a lot, he was enamored with Jeff's well being. He was still mad at you though time had dulled the point of his rage, now he'd give you icy looks and the cold shoulder if you ever greeted him. That was fine, not like you were friends at this point. It was a hollow victory though, you felt like you lost something. Even if a few months back you thought him dead and accepted as fact. Now that he was alive and openly shunning you, it was almost like being texted by an ex and them drudging back up shit they had no room to out of nowhere. Eventually fucking off and leaving you to pick up the pieces all over again.

Far removed, your old life felt so different. You wondered if Noah was proud of you for holding out for so long. Wondered how your internet buddies were doing, your co-workers, the indifferent, and the shady. Thoughts like that only got you down because you'd never get to know. Someday soon-ish, you were going to die.

"(Y/n)." You pretended you couldn't hear her. Internally hoping to whatever higher power was out there to make Jack or Jane finish up already. "Hey. Hey (Y/n). Hey! Look at me! I got somthin' for you." 

Couldn't ignore her forever. Hesitantly you turned to her to find that in her impatience, she was coming your way. You stiffened up like a deer in the headlights, it was always like this when they moved too quickly toward you. Couldn't exactly not be traumatized and afraid of them to a degree even if you ate meals with them.

_She wasn't going to hurt you. Deep breaths._

Out of her hoodie pocket, she pulled out a knife.

_Never mind. You should run._

"Hey! Chill out, I'm not gonna stab you." Nat urged in a rush, holding it's folded metal mass only with her thumb and pointer to be as unintimidating as possible. "I just wanna give you this." She lowered it for you to observe. Black handle, silver highlights. "It's a switchblade," Suddenly the sharp point disappeared after spinning toward it's body, "See?" Then it was right back out. "I want you to have it.''

Track record with knives genuinely terrible, you were reasonably put off. "Why?"

"Self defense. 'Case anything happens." Natalie flipped the knife back into itself, holding it unthreateningly toward your chest.

"I'm around one of you guys all the time. It's fine, really." You didn't want it, Jersey devil part two. The knife wasn't just that, it was a self fulfilling prophecy that at some point, you'd have to use it. 

Nat annoyedly sighed, grabbing your freehand and pressing the knife's smooth handle into your palm. "You wander a lot and it's not like we sleep together. Take it." Calloused fingers pushed your digits closed around it, sealing your fate.

But for all you knew, you could just be paranoid. This was a good idea you had to admit. Lips sucked into your teeth, you nodded, putting the weight in your pocket.

She brought a hand up to her hair, scratching the bedhead that laid flat and untamed against her scalp as she smiled widely, "Don't want anything bad happenin' to you."

"Yeah, thanks." You robotically replied, trying to forget it was even there. 

White noise followed the death of the conversation _. Tick, tock, tick, fwwwsshh._

These days a lot of curiosities nagged at you. When was this going to be over? How were you going to die? Euthanasia, gutted while conscious, or be hung on a meat hook and kept alive for weeks while prime cuts were sliced off of you to be enjoyed one by one? More nosy thoughts lined the ideas of these people and their pasts. How does one eat human flesh and not immediately wretch? Is wearing that mask all the time uncomfortable for Jane? And the thing you'd gotten too little hints at, was Natalie. Don't just become a clock-eyed serial killer over night. What was her villain origin story?

Every other topic only drew a blank. Nosiness wouldn't put you in harms way, what was a little bit of questioning. "Hey so-" Nat perked up the moment you addressed her, already smirking as if she were formulating a smart ass reply on the fly. Start small, build up from there, "What's with," You pointed at the constant source of sound, "That?"

"This ole thing?" She tapped her nail on it's surface much to your chagrin, "Had it forever."

"Okay but why?"

"Convenient to keep track'a time with." Struck you as wildly underwhelming to only have such an extreme body modification as that. "Actually, lemme just." Tapping it was nothing compared to when she pulled her stretch mark laden eyelids open. Came out easy enough. Flipped it round in her palm, announcing, "Eight on the dot. Nice."

Didn't answer the question, "But why?"

Clouds outside must have covered up the sun because almost all at once, it got a lot darker. In the low light with a falling smile and empty pink socket, she looked gaunt, almost like someone with lactose intolerance who indulged too much. 

"Time. I _need_ to keep track of the time. All the time. For everything. If I don't keep track then something _really bad_ is going to happen." Natalie had never spoken with such a specific intensity, gripping the clock tight in her fingerless glove. Possessive. Obsessive. 

You swallowed a lump in your throat, not liking that dull look in her eye. "Why not-" Should you even ask? Did you really want to know more about the life of this horrible person? Curiosity killed the cat after all. "Why not use your phone?" But satisfaction brought it back.

"You don't get it." She hissed, convinced of something you couldn't quite grasp, "I have to _be_ time but I have to keep track of it."

She's right! You didn't. "How do you keep track when that's in there? Not like you can see it."

"I count. Every second, minute, hour, day, you get it. I count _everything."_

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

_One, two, three, four._

"Oh." That was intriguing you supposed. From now on you guessed you'd watch her with a keener set of eyes, observe one of the few interesting things around here. But what were you supposed to even say to that? Maybe something like, "So how long have I been here?"

Numbers were spat out faster than a cash register printing out a receipt, "Seven weeks, four days, thirteen hours, and twenty-seven minutes."

"Fifty-three days huh. It's felt a lot longer." Felt more like six months. "No seconds?"

Natalie's shoulders tightly squared. Out came the confession, bitter but not without a terrified quake, "I lost track when you ran away."

"Oh uh- That's okay, you can just start counting them now." Under her scrutinous gaze, you started to fidget.

"No, it's not. I lost them. That's why your friend died."

"That's not tru-"

_Skkkerrch._

Both of your heads whipped toward the open door to the showers. Jane walked out with a black towel wrapped around her curvy figure. For once her hair was up, tied into a messy bun. Clutching her mask in front of her face, straps loosely hanging at it's side. "Ah, thought I heard you, (Y/n)."

"Hi." Shaky greeting paired with a nervous side eye to Natalie who had suddenly perked back up. Flower in the sun. 

"Hey babe." As per usual, Natalie didn't hide her ogling at all. "You need help getting dressed?"

"No. Get in the shower." 

"(Y/n) how 'bout you go before me?" She offered with a cheeky grin, eye quickly darting back to her girlfriend.

"Sure." Good for them but you didn't wanna be around them getting freaky. 

"Nat, you know that you have to get to your watch as fast as possible."

"Awww but-"

"Also don't forget to change the batteries. I think there's some in a bag in one of the cubbies. Liu said he put it there, go check right now so later it doesn't slip your mind." How oddly sweet of her to nag her girlfriend like that. Under the assumption that she meant batteries for Natalie's 'eye'; Who knows how she'd react if it ran out of power. Ran out of time.

Natalie whined obnoxiously but Jane had a point. " _Fiiiinne._ " 

You didn't stick around for the rest of the conversation. There was no place for you in it and you'd rather get to one of your few moments of alone time for the day. Except you weren't alone in the showers. You could see the top half of Jack's head when you came in. Showerhead coming right below his shoulders. 

After getting into your own shower unit, you got undressed and got to work. Trying your absolute best to not think about Jack being in the same room. Normal usually, but being naked within proximity to these people was always awkward on your side. Not that you thought they'd try anything nasty, but it was just so weirdly domestic in a way. But also you had those thoughts that weren't exactly your own but still technically were from your subconscious; Was all of Jack's body gray? Was his ass gray? 

You came to a horrifying realization; you were out of body wash. Wouldn't kill you to go a day without it but you thought you got bits of rat meat on your hands earlier. Then you accidentally touched your face. You just wanted to make sure all the dead rodent germs were gone. 

Just be out with it, don't even think about how awkward it is. "Hey, do you have any extra soap?" 

"One sec." You expected him to come over with a towel on, you grabbing at whatever he had while hiding behind the curtain. Instead after a few seconds, something black slithered over head. Loosely wrapped around a bottle that was currently being lowered down just enough for you to grab it. Unorthodox method of delivery, but appreciated none the less.

"Uh, thanks." 

"No problem." Wow! For once he wasn't an ass. "Just don't use it all." Never mind!

You'd be real sure to use ' _Dark Temptation 2: Electric Boogaloo'_ as sparingly as possible. Who would even use something named that anyway? Annoying dudes in their twenties who called themselves smart, that's who.

Jack left pretty quickly after that. The second he opened the door Natalie was there to make a comment, "Took you long enough."

"It'd suit you well to take showers as long as mine, you know." He nagged. "Remember to clean your lids or they're going to get crusty again."

"Says the man with shit in his eyes."

"I don't have eyes and I regularly wash out my sockets. You should too."

You heard a sound that could have only been Natalie sticking her tongue out and blowing. 

"Or don't listen to me. Okay." With that, the door shut and it was just you and Natalie. 

"Hey (Y/n)." 

"H-"

"You mind if I hop in with you? We can save water, ya'know?" 

The sound of surprise that lept out of your throat was that of a cat about to cough up a hairball. "I don't think that's-"

"We're gal pals, right? It's not weird."

"We are, but I'd rather not." Surprised yourself with that, agreeing out loud that you were friends. 

Least she had enough smarts to not grab the curtain or just come in without any approval. "Hm. Alright, suit yourself." Soon enough she turned the other shower on.

Comforting jacket, tank top, and Natalie's jeans that on you looked more like mom jeans than anything. They were pulled up to your waist, ends cuffed and knees scraped. Didn't really matter what you wore here, end result would still be the same. Such a downer you had hardly anything of your own. 

Outside the showers you expected nobody. Most mornings you only saw one or two of them but hardly ever the whole gang. Almost. Rake and Liu weren't here. Usually, they'd leave for whoever had less security at the time. Rise repeat. 

Strangely enough, Jack and Jane were waiting outside. Sat on a plastic bench, a respectful distance away from one another. Outfits as put together as ever. 

Jane had changed herself into a dress, black as per normal. Length ending around her mid-thigh which you tried your best to respectfully avert your eyes from. Dark corset tightly hugging her torso, ending just below her chest. Only further enhancing her thick hourglass figure. Sheer lace met with fabric just above her breasts, flower themed and running up her shoulders down her arms. Met with gloves shorter than her usual of the same velvety material you were used to seeing on her. It felt odd to see more of her skin than usual today. But you weren't going to be weirdly judgmental about what someone else was gonna wear. Actually, you were focusing on how that dress was awfully low cut. You could see quite a bit of her _assets._

_Don't think about how big her boobs are. Don't think about it. Don't be weird._

Derailing your attention was a colorful heap folded up on her lap. Mostly (f/c), neatly knit, couldn't tell much more than that.

You don't know how he kept those dumb fucking leather pants so clean when he couldn't see anything. Honestly, it was impressive. Same big chunky boots as usual. Sometimes you thought that Jack was into post-apocalyptic fiction with all the leather harnesses he wore. Today though, he surprised you. No harness. Wow. What a shocker. Instead, he wore something like Jane, sheer black over his torso. You got a decently clear view of his chest through it, much more revealing than Jane's, that's for sure. He was clearly fit but he did not have the same washboard abs as teddy bear head guy. Actually, his body was on the softer side, the curves of his torso were gradual, smooth. Peppering of noticeable but not overly thick hair on his chest, leading down. Faint lines ran under both his pecs, you couldn't get too much of a good look but they looked like scars rather than a trick of the light. You finally got a peak at the piercings you'd noticed weeks back, spiky black barbell piercings above the scars, you tried not to stare too much. Franky put, he was just a huge dude with a normal looking body. 

Signature trench coat only hanging off of one shoulder, still pulling it on while talking to Jane. Smiling at her in a manner less nasty than usual. Their pissy feuds were an on and off affair, some days they were on the same wavelength. On others, they'd snappily jab at one another till the other buzzed off.

"Yes, I know." Jane haughtily basked in his thanks, "I'm amazing."

"For once, I'll agree with you." Jack indulged her ego, pulling his other arm through it's sleeve. Straps shifted and buckles dully clinked together. He decided to leave it open, piercings and soft belly still on display. 

You should have just left to check on one of the captives but the goths had an allure to them that drew you over. "You fixed that already?" 

"Why yes I did." You could hear her ego inflating. "You can't even tell that he went on a bender, it's perfect!" At the proclamation, you searched for overt seams, only to find none. What you did find was that dark band around his bicep, the one that held a scalpel for convenience. Whenever you were around one another he never had his tools. Exclusively used for private dismemberments or as utensils for bodily consumption in the food court. You made a point to never approach him when eating. Skeezed you out in all sorts of ways.

"I wouldn't call it that, but yeah."

"I mean-" She paused, sniffing, "What's that?" _Sniff, sniff. "_ Jack." She said sternly, deeply invading his personal space. 

"Jane." 

"Did you use my pomegranate sugar scrub?" She asked suspiciously.

He crossed his legs, placed a hand atop his knee and smiled. 

She made a sound that was a mix of a gasp and a growl. _"I can smell it on you! You ungrateful little-"_

 _"_ I gave my body wash to (Y/n), there was nothing else." He reasoned.

Jane crossed her arms, "Then why do you look so smug?"

"Because it's funny when you're mad."

You could feel an argument blistering in the air, so you intervened, "He did give it to me. Sorry."

She huffed, almost disappointed that Jack wasn't totally at fault. Just then an idea popped into your head. "Ya'know what? We could always go to that Bath and Bodyworks place to get you another. If I remember right it was an hour away from the apartment." The was such a detached title for a place you'd lived for two years. Lived with another person who died a month and a half ago. Every day was a bit easier but the weighty emptiness always lingered in some form or another.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Jane skeptically questioned, "People are looking for you and it's not like you have any money."

"I dunno, disguise? Use Liu's car if he'll let us." You offered. Jack snickered at the idea. Spitefully, you continued, "And yea, I don't have any cash but I can still get whatever you want."

Jane placed a hand delicately over her heart, "Are you seriously offering to shoplift soap for me?"

It's not like you'd feel bad about stealing from a corporation who'd take no major stock hits over a few containers lost. "Yeah, I am."

"You don't even know what I like." She thought aloud, "And I really don't know how you'd disguise yourself enough for people to not recognize you."

Jack continued to mockingly laugh at the cartoonish idea. Which only gave you another, much more absurd and having to do with his freshly mended trench coat. "What if, we went together."

"I don't-"

"I know you don't wanna take your mask off. But! If we do that thing where I sit on your shoulders and wear a trench coat, a hat, and sunglasses," You said whilst looking at Jack, "You could come, not have to take your mask off, and I'd be disguised."

The goths stared at you before individually wheezing, "No."

"Absolutely not. That's ridiculous."

"I'm just sayin'!" You vehemently defended the goofy idea, not without giggling yourself, "It might work."

"Maybe on another planet." Jane waved the idea off.

"Just food for thought." You hummed. 

"But," She continued, "I would not object to going out and getting things. I don't know when we would but we can plan it out later."

"Sounds good to me!" 

"If you do go out, could you also get me a few things?" Jack asked.

Jane tapped the bottom of her chin in mock thought, "I'll have to think about it."

_Skkkerrch._

 _"_ What's goin' on guys?"

Everyone's attention was pointed to Natalie. You blinked and rubbed your eyes. When you were done her outfit hadn't changed. She really was wearing an open blazer with nothing underneath. Striped, crisp, almost unnoticeable shoulder pads made her look broader. Midline of her torso exposed, from her collar bone to the sides of her breasts, to the incline of her hip where her pants hung almost too low if not for the belt. Pants tighter than normal, dark washed jeans cuffed above lazily tied sneakers.

_What the hell was with today and everyone's breasts just being out in some sort of way? More importantly, why were you fine with this?_

 _"_ Why are you wearing that? You usually only wear it on dates?" Jane questioned the woman who usually dressed casually lazy. 

"I forgot to do laundry." Natalie admitted, pushing wet hair back away from her forehead, "This was all I had left."

Jane hummed in understanding. Nothing to really make a fuss of after that. 

You didn't want to be rude but no one was acknowledging the fact that her tit could just fall out whenever. "Hey, I think you forgot to button up your shirt."

"I didn't!" She proudly announced, _"This_ is fashion."

"Your uhm-" Heat rose up to your cheeks as you quietly gestured to your chest, "Is open. You might-"

Suddenly she spun around in a snappy circle. Fists on her hips when she faced you once more, jacket having only slightly shifted on her frame but it hadn't revealed a thing. 

She did the thing you noticed her doing more and more often, blinking her only eye in an attempt to wink and saying, "Why, you hoping to see somethin', (Y/n)?"

You respectfully gawked, "What? I- How?" 

"Tape." Natalie answered, "Got that one from Miss Thing over here."

You heard a slight chuckle from Jane at the name, looking over at the two of you, probably smiling at Natalie under the mask.

"Oh, that's cool." Idly commenting, your mind started to drift. _Had_ you wanted to see something? What were you all doing by dawdling like this? You didn't hate it at all, in fact you were enjoying yourself and didn't want to disburse. The captives, Liu and his alters, you just wanted to be away from them for longer, longer than however many hours of sleep you'd gotten. Chatting like this was infinitely better, maybe they felt the same. Excuses thrown around just to chill out for ten minutes more than usual.

Just a few more minutes wouldn't hurt, right?

"You guys are good at that sorta stuff, huh?"

"Of course I am." Jane immediately agreed. 

"Honestly," Natalie sat herself beside Jane and continued, "I have no fucking idea what I'm doing."

"You make it work." You complimented her, trying not to stare too long at any one person. 

"This is just one of my _many_ talents." Jack boasted.

Jane shook her head, "Many?"

"Who else dresses like this, can preform multiple surgeries, preserve bodies, and be this good looking?" Jack wouldn't know the world humble even if it slapped him in the face.

Natalie snickered, "Okay, Mister Sexy."

"Uhm actually," He clicked his tongues, "It's _Doctor_ Sexy."

A wheezing stream of air passed your sealed lips. The girls weren't as immediately reserved at cackling at him. Having some self awareness, Jack joined in followed finally by you. Just a couple of sort of friends cutting loose. Comfortable, happy.

"Speaking of fashion," Jane said after calming herself, "(Y/n), come here."

"Hm?" You curiously approached the beauty, too lazy to get up.

She lifted the colorful fabric from her lap, unfolding it to show it off. "I want you to have this. I think it's a good idea for you to have something else of your own."

A sweater, (f/c) dominant, with stripes of complementary colors, it looked cozy, cute, well crafted. Near the upper right shoulder rested a patch, a sheet ghost. The material was (f/c) so light it almost looked white, black slits for eyes, a thin O for a mouth. 

Kindness from Jane wasn't a rarity, downplayed by the way she worded things, but it was common for her to ensure your needs were met. You already were borrowing their clothes, it wasn't like you were walking around cold and naked. This was above and beyond.

"Wow." Words were difficult to come to you, just how does one put into syllables how happy they are? She knew the specific ways in which you stimmed when you were happy. She knew you were grateful but you had to say something more than wow. Was, "Thank you Jane." Enough? You should add something onto it, "That's really sweet of you. I love it." Was that too strong? Should you have not said that?

"I- Well I-" She huffed before blurting out, "I'm glad you like it." A gloved nail tapped on the patch, "Even got one of your little cryptid thingies on there."

In your dumb shock, you let your know-it-all nature speak before anything else, "Ghosts really aren't considered cryptids."

Jane stared at you, "Look, I tried."

"And I appreciate it! Thank you. Sorry."

You approached feeling awkward at your digression. Pinching the strands between your index and your thumb, soft and not scratchy at all. "Do you mind if I change into it right now?"

"Please do, I wasn't completely sure about your measurements." Jane let go, passing her hard work onto you.

Natalie quirked her brow, "Didn't you measure her in her sle-"

"Bathrooms right over there!" Jane hummed over her partner, pointing to the showers.

It fit just the way you liked it. You admired the sweater in the full-length mirror, swinging happily side to side to catch all the right angles. Guess you could say that you were apart of their unintentional fashion fad of having their breasts showing in some sort of way. The neckline dragged low, if you bent a little too forward and got a good angle you could see everything. You felt like one of the cool adults in somewhat ridiculous clothing. 

Since you wanted to show the sweater off completely, you kept the bomber tied around your waist. You walked out of the bathroom with your head held higher than before.

"Well, look at you." Natalie purred from her spot beside Jane.

"It looks good on you." Jane tilted her head side to side, taking in your entire appearance with a self-critical eye, "But how does it fit?"

"Great!" You chirped, "You did an amazing job. How long did this take?" 

Jane looked away, tapping her fingers together, "Nothing really."

"Usually takes her twenty-two hours, thirty-two minutes, sixteen seconds to knit me one. Probably around that." Natalie informed.

"Wow!" Mental note taken: be careful with this thing, it was a labor of love. "That's a lot."

"It was just something to do." The feat was brushed off in a manner too humble for how Jane usually was. "Just a plus that you were in need of something of your own." She paused in thought, "Actually, I do have some things you could try on to see if you'd like."

"Really?" At this rate maybe you'd have to get a plastic bag to put your clothes in near your little room. Strangely that sounded wonderful. 

"Yea, I've made some dresses here and there. Natalie won't wear them-"

"Sorry babe. You know-"

"I know wearing feminine clothing is hard on you." Her partner finished the sentence in practiced seriousness, "I get it. But (Y/n), would you mind modeling some things for me? Sometimes it's hard to tell on myself if my work is any good. If you like it, you can keep it."

"Oh!" One thing after another with her today. Continuously pleasantly surprising you. "I'd like that."

"Why haven't you ever asked me?" Jack butted in, hand over his heart. "I'd be a great model."

"Do you think I've made anything to fit someone seven feet tall?" She deadpanned.

He gently rested his chin upon the back of his hand, elbow resting on his thigh. Motherfucker was posing. "No, but you could."

"No. You'd just get the clothes dirty. Plus, (Y/n) would fit and look better in the things I make." Her mask was pointed toward you the entire time, you couldn't help but feel as if she was already mentally putting different clothes on you. Her very own personal human sized Polly Pocket. 

"I'll have you know," Jack's smile faltered a bit and straightened himself out of the pose, "I'm very good at cleaning up after myself, but most of the time it doesn't matter because it blends in with most of the things I wear anyways." Sounded like the next thing he was going to say that he liked his clothes black for another reason, to mirror his very soul. Edgelord. 

"Only hot people get to wear Jane clothes." Natalie elbowed the man. Did she just infer that she thinks you're hot?

Self assured, he defended his ego, "I'm both physically hot and hot in an attractive sense." 

Mercilessly, Jane hammered the nail in the coffin, "I'd rather let Rake wear my work than you."

You snorted and played along. "I think he'd like that, probably gets cold. Earlier when he got me up, I could'a sworn he was shivering a little."

Natalie blinked and furrowed her brow, "Rake's supposed to be with Nina right now?" 

"I thought he was with the other one?" Jack said, pushing himself off the chair.

"No? He got me up then went after a rat or something."

"Wait," Jane's voice creeped toward an agitated edge, "I thought Liu was with Nina."

"I was with her twenty-four minutes ago. He wasn't there." Natalie's fingers twitched, rapping on her thigh.

"He was there before I went to bed." You added.

Jack hissed a breath in, realizing aloud, "I think he's on food supply right now."

You blinked, "Then who's watching-" 

" _OH SHIT!"_

Just like that all of you were bolting, walking for Jack, out of the abandoned gym. General consensus being check on the closest one, Jeff, first. The knife bounced around in your pocket, calling to you, taunting you.

_You're gonna have to use me._

Fear crept up into your chest, putting pressure on your lungs and clutching firm around your heart. "He's probably still out." You blabbered in an act of self soothing. 

"I stuck him six and a half hours ago." Natalie said, running ahead of the group without issue, jacket flaring out behind her but still hiding her chest. 

Jane hoped, "He should still be under."

Considering what he'd said when he'd woken up that other time, you weren't so sure. Tongue pinned between your teeth, you were too scared that if you said it, then it'd come true.

Natalie skidded to a stop in front of Spencer's before rushing in. By the time you and the J's got there, she was walking out with her hands on her head. "He's not in there. Neither is his chair, I don't think he could'a gone far."

Jane was practically vibrating in place, fists tightly balled. But now wasn't the time to throw a fit and she'd learned her lesson from your escapes. "Everyone split up, we'll cover more ground."

"I'll take the downstairs!" Natalie called over her shoulder, already scrambling away.

"I've got the perimeter." Jack stomped away much harder than normal. Sounded like a warzone even when he got further away. 

That left you with Jane. This being your first experience with a containment breach, you looked to her for guidance. One hand clamped around your wrist, the other already wielding a knife. "You're staying with me. We'll check the upstairs."

Logically, you'd cover more ground if you truly split off, but you didn't want to be the one to find him. Without a phone to call for help, inexperienced in the art of bodily harm. Hell, what if he found you first? All alone and vulnerable. Talking at him wasn't a solid method of defense anymore, you'd have to fight that feral thing if he even gave you a chance. 

Being dragged behind the chunky heel wearer was no issue as you kept up just fine. There was no reason for her to still be holding onto you. "Hey, you're crushing my wrist."

"I don't want anyone to grab you."

"It'll be fine. I don't think anyone's gonna sneak up on us. If anyone tries anything, I've got you to help." You sounded like a total damsel, but sometimes a bitch needs someone to lean on.

"Just stay close."

Your words swayed her to let go. Felt strange to have a hard head like her listen to your direction. 

Running, running, and more running. The two of you were taking a moderate pace through the second floor, partially following a trail of scrapes, partially heading toward Claire's. Coincidentally going in the same direction. "Something's wrong." Jane heaved, "I can feel it."

"Everything will be fine." You urged, hardly believing even yourself.

"You _make_ me want to believe something like that." Jane confessed, heels clacking as she slowed herself to make a sharp turn.

"It's good to try to have an optimistic-" Around the corner were the broken remains of Jeff's chair. He scooted and awkwardly ran himself all the way to this point. A comically impressive feat but it meant that Jane was dead right. "World view." You finished pitifully.

Oddly, the ropes weren't there. Just bits of wood, a dent in the wall, and a faint sound you couldn't place your finger on. "What's that?"

"Something wrong." She echoed, speeding up as best she could without tripping over her own feet. 

The closer you got to Claire's, the louder and more distinct the sound. Wailing but it was like someone took a remote and turned the volume down to the lowest it could be without being muted.

When the two of you turned into the store, you figured out why. Nina lay shaking and shuddering in the piercing chair, par for the course with her. But never before had her mouth been pried open so wide, stuffed with thick black ropes. Heaving and gagging to no avail, those things were shoved in deep. Not her own bindings, she was still stuck to the chair. These were from somewhere else, someone else.

_Drip, drop, drip._

At this point, you knew very well what blood looked like. It overflowed off her seat, dribbling down the side before finally falling into the over saturated carpet. How long had she been like this?

Jane marched right up to her, you in tow, grabbed her by her stretched out jaw and demanded. "Where did he go!?"

Nina had never looked worse. Entirely a shade paler, snot running freely from her nostrils and down either side of her tear stained cheeks. Bulky masses that you'd never seen before had popped up on the flesh of her neck. Twitching and bobbing with every throaty vocalization. Her chest sunk and bloated in uneven beats. Open, shut, open, shut, the slit moved along with its owner's erratic movements. To say she was gushing blood would be an understatement. Probably because the deep wound was directly in the middle of her sternum, heart pierced. Broken.

She was like a car crash you couldn't peel your eyes from except it was a burning three lane pile up. At least not until something rough was pressed into your shaking palm, "Come on, help me pull these out of her." Concern was void in her tone, all Jane cared about was information. 

You shuffled closer, sneaker soles sliding across the wetly sticky floor. Jane was yanking ropes from her mouth with no regard to how badly it must have hurt. Skin on Nina's neck grotesquely moved with every pull. Swallowing back bile, you gripped your piece and tug, tug, tugged. Soon enough your hands were coated with mucus, spit, and small bits of flesh. You breathed a shuddering sigh of relief when you finally pulled the last of it out of her esophagus, dropping the slimy rope to the floor.

Anti-climactic cries died in her sandpapery throat. She mutely sobbed, face contorted to display ugly agony. 

Jane could give a flying rat's ass, demanding, _"Where is he!?"_

Nina's lip quivered, her tongue lashing, teeth gnashing to try and make a semblance of a sentence but all that came out was, "Heeeuh."

Clothed fingers dug into Nina's cheeks, "Stop wasting my time. _Talk."_

All Jane got was a mixed bag of quiet syllables. Neither of you could decipher them. Jane shoved Nina's skull back into the headrest.

"I'm going to keep searching. You stay here and watch her." Jane coldly demanded.

The fear was back, "But what about-"

 _"Do what I tell you!"_

Suddenly she didn't feel as welcoming and kind. Completely unlike the woman from five minutes ago who entertained the idea of shoplifting with you. But there was one thing you'd learned, it was the duality of other people. This was the same person, driven, short, dangerous, the leader. What drove her the most in this world and what was also the bane of it, was Jeff. There wasn't a hope in hell that she'd stay for your comfort when you both had jobs to do. 

You resigned quietly, "Okay." 

_Click, clack, click, clack,_ over and over until you knew she was gone. 

Muscle memory brought your fingertips up to your chest, searching for a surface to rub themselves across. They found the ghost, soothing over it's stitched features over and over. Most of the time you liked to listen to the sound of your skin against whatever surface you were touching. Nina's pathetic cries diluted the sound, it was hardly comforting.

You watched for any working escape attempts but all she did was writhe and weakly wail. Budging blues quietly plead with you but you didn't cut her free. Never again. 

Time dragged on. You heard the trio running and stomping through the mall. At some point it got quieter, they must have been searching outside. During that time you stared out of Claire's open entrance to the store across the way. Afraid that Jeff had the same idea of hiding in a ball pit until the case was clear. He never did emerge from _HANK'S BALLS._

Daylight was starting to wane. Nina was still conscious. Her body kept on producing blood from thin air but her chest wound didn't close, not a single millimeter. Fantasies were becoming reality, but it was a lot worse than your imagination hyped it up to be.

Liu came back. You knew because you heard him screaming from the downstairs. He left like a bat out of hell to search around the area in his car. You were surprised you didn't hear a gunshot. 

You watched Nina through the night, into the early hours of the morning, and passed that. Every single second the thought weighed heavier and heavier. It wasn't until late in the afternoon of the next day that Jane came back. Her bitter words confirming your worst nightmare.

_"He got away."_


	31. 30 - Memento Mori

**CW: Mentions of healed self harm scars. NSFW mentions.**

Hours flew by in an anxiety filled blur. Exhaustion weighed heavy on your lids, but you'd yet to sleep. How could you with everything that was going on? 

Noise, noise, _noise._ Nina's cries didn't get any less grating or easier to listen to. She hadn't stopped the _entire_ time. Voice growing even more pitifully horse. Everyone had congregated back in Claire's. Wasn't surprising that they immediately started arguing amongst themselves. Jane was yelling a lot, Insults were thrown, Liu kept his hand on his gun, and you leaned yourself against the cleanest wall in the room. Your attempted manifestations of the sudden power to magically not being able to hear anything at all failed.

Jane and Liu were the epicenter of the argument. Jack lingered on it's outskirts, hanging mostly around Nina and observing her reactions to poking and prodding like she was some sort of spectacle.

Amidst it all, you wondered where Rake was. He popped back in some time ago, but something caught his eye and he was outta there. He really was an oversized, hairless, outdoor cat. 

Natalie gravitated toward you, she was weirdly quiet. Much more so than normal. Her brow was constantly knit and a frown seemed to be eternally resting on her thin lips. She'd placed herself beside you a few inches away, constantly tapping the wall. One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi. All the bickering must have made it hard to hear the constant noise echoing off the walls of her skull.

No matter how much you tried not to think about it, you couldn't stop them from fighting. "That doesn't change the fact that _all of you_ let him get away!" Must have been the thousandth time Liu had beaten the dead horse. Couldn't blame him, he was right.

"No one thought it was going to happen." Natalie brashly voiced, visibly having about enough of Liu's incessant nagging. 

Jane doubled down with her, "And you should have told one of us before you left, so someone could have covered for you. But you _didn't._ You fucked up just as much as the rest of us." The thing you liked about Jane was that she tried to keep the blame reasonable when it was fair to do so. She wasn't overly defensive about the massive mistake you all made and how she greatly contributed, she accepted it, and was disappointed in everyone equally. Which still sucked.

"I told you _a day_ before," Liu stepped closer, leaning down to _really_ get in her masked face, "I didn't think that all of you suffered from short term memory loss." 

Jack sighed, "Look we-"

_"Stay out of this!"_ The bickering homosexuals barked unanimously. Immediately, their intensely angry attention was back on the other, only more pissed that they could agree on something.

"Get your shit together." Liu started up once more.

"Oh my god!" Natalie screeched, a hand anxiously tugging at her hair. "We get it! We fucked up. Can you shut up about it already!?"

"No." He scoffed, "Because Jeff is gone!"

Saying it aloud only made reality sink in more for Liu. Jeff slipped through his fingers again after so many years of waiting. His face curdled and his hands quaked. Realistically, he should have shot her already if Nat and his earlier arguments were anything to go by. It was a reasonable, but alarming, escalation. But he hadn't even pulled the thing out and his volume control was better than normal. It wasn't just Liu acting out here. Your personal, backward, guardian angel was looking out for you.

"Yeah! No shit." She snarled. Tap, tap, tapping kept her glued to the wall. She didn't want to lose count. Then all would be lost.

"Listen," Jack firmly snapped, "We're going to find him again-"

"In two weeks if not longer." Jane fired back.

You pressed yourself harder into the wall, willing it to move around you and let you slink away. Cruelly solid and still. You rubbed away at the ghost with one hand, the other hanging uselessly at your side to fidget with the end of your sleeve.

Liu balled up the end of his scarf into his fist, "If he's smart-"

Jane nastily laughed, "Which he's not."

He gave her a look. "He's probably going to try to lay low for awhile."

Cast aside again. Natalie disappointedly sucked her lips to her teeth and watched on. Quiet solidarity had settled over the both of you, defined by mutual anxiety, dread, and semi-internalized emotional dysregulation. Tap, tap, brush. The side of her hand grazed over the tops of your knuckles. Natalie eyed you, a second series of tapping started up on her other hand completely in sync with the other. Then the one that'd touched you stopped. A pinky reaching out to press itself into your own. Amidst all the fear, she offered a small physical comfort. You took it, linking pinkies with her. 

"I'd give it a week or two realistically." For once, something Jack said brought you some comfort. "According to past behavior, he'll be on a," Air quotes, " _'Bender'_ for roughly that amount of time. After that or even while he's at it, **he** will put **his** favorite lapdog back to work."

The hotheads stopped to consider his point.

Liu tapped his foot and commented, "Well, if Jane can stop underestimating him then _maybe_ we'll have a chance at catching him again quickly." This again.

You gripped her pinky so hard that your hand was shaking. All this petty snipping, the fear you'd been subjected to, stressors sat on your shoulders feeling like three-hundred pounds. Natalie couldn't lift away all your problems but she could help. She shifted her hand, thick fingers sliding between your own, closing shut. You snapped your palm to press against hers, reciprocating without a second thought. Squeezing hard but not too hard, you were conscientious that you might be hurting her. A smile flickered at the corner of her lip, accompanied by a quick and playful squeeze back. 

"I know what he's capable of." Jane hissed.

"You sure don't act like it!"

"Stop." Jack attempted to intervene but they kept on going. Nothing he said got through their thick skulls.

Questions, questions, questions. You never seemed to run out of them here. The pursuit of knowledge in this horrifying underbelly of the world you'd never really seen before was constant. Most were inquisitive, that of a researcher, but quite a bit of the time, they grew personal, out of a nosy nature or abject horror. This was one of those questions, built of solid, genuine, terror.

"Did we even make any progress?" It wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, but heads started to turn. "Everything still healed. Are you completely sure he can be killed?"

"We did." Jack flatly answered, "He was just starting to turn."

"Turn?" Like a reverse zombie or something? "Why didn't he like, do that earlier?"

Jack hummed, deliberating on if he should fill in you _silly little mortals_ on what he meant. "Imagine you have two dead bodies." He began, completely unable to resist the urge to make himself look like the smartest in the room. "One is a world leader. The other is their right hand."

"I think I'm following." You commented, trying to ignore the prickly tension between Jane and Liu.

"Both of their bodies are preserved because the _government_ wants to keep their memory alive. Whose body do you think is going to get more care?" He tilted his head toward you.

"The world leader. They're more important, but so is the right hand."

"Exactly," He almost smiled, "They both held power, but one had more of a widespread presence than the other. The government will fund the further preservation of the leader, much, much more so than the right hand. They'll make an effort for the right hand but in the end; Who are people going to look to more?"

"The world leader." You repeated, gunked up gears in your head started to turn. 

"Jeff's the world leader," Liu followed along, "Nina's the right hand. And **he** tried to combat _'decomposition'_ ," He pointed at Jack, "Your presence, by trying to focus **his** influence as much as possible on Jeff. Probably spread some to Nina to try and keep her too, but," He stroked his chin, "Jeff matters more." Something about his disposition had started to shift. He leaned more on his left leg, his shoulders relaxed, he was actually trying to talk to someone rather than being a hound.

Memories came and went but there were always those few that would stick with you forever. One of which was something Jack had said a little after Noah died: _"Few years down the line, people are going to understand how to get away better. It's a domino effect, really. Completely destroys **his** system. Jeff dies, so does **he**."_

"Sort of but I can't exactly say for sure. I think it's more that, he came in with more of a connection with **him**. I.E, he was more 'preserved' at the start. By being around me those 'preserves' started to wane. She seems to have more of a connection with Jeff instead of the boss. I mean," Jack gestured to the cavity in Nina's chest, "Just look at this."

Blood, blood, and more blood. Colorful plastic beads that shone through her bindings had been caked with the stuff. Not to mention her shoulder, a good majority of her hair, and the ropes she was confined in. The stab wound hadn't healed at all and for the past day she'd been bleeding nonstop. Completely ridiculous if you thought about it but it showed that in some way, she still had a connection to **him**. Just enough to continuously produce enough new blood to keep her conscious and alive.

She was fated to lay and wait. To look around dazedly, to lock eyes with you and try to plea. One of you needed to get her some water or a lozenge, get her story, piece together the rest of what went wrong. She should be gone too, but she wasn't.

"This is good." Jack lightly stomped, wanting to get the best possible render of Nina's misery.

Jane's hands flexed in and out of fists, "He got away."

"I know. But we'll get him back eventua-"

_"He knows where we live now, Jack!"_

"Even better, he'll come to us."

"This isn't just about that! He could sneak back in here and kill one of us."

"No one's dying on my watch." You couldn't tell if his overconfidence was comforting or worrying.

"I'm sure we'll be fine if we know he's comin'." Natalie squeezed your hand and firmly reassured, "That little fucker's not gonna stab someone else in the gut."

He's out there. A dog on the loose. He could return to your new home anytime he wanted. Did you just call this rotten shithole a home? What the fuck is even happening anymore?

Immense pressure was suddenly pushed upon your lungs. You didn't want to be the same as a woman in the sixteen-hundreds, fainting at the sound of bad news, but you felt really light headed. You didn't know when you'd landed onto Natalie's side. One second you were in one place, the next you were somewhere else. Must have fainted after all.

"You okay?" Natalie steadied you with a strong hand that stayed firmly planted on your shoulder, eye looking down at you worriedly. Arm supportively stretched around your back.

You felt like you were going to piss yourself and vomit at the same time. "Yeah, I'm fine." You wobbled a bit side to side but you were still upright with Nat to catch you if anything happened, you leaned into her. 

"Should we move?" You asked, half alarmed, half confused at the revelation that _this_ was home. That you felt a weight in your chest when you voiced your concern, you were attached. As much of a rotting cesspool as it was, you found some heart here. You found a connection, multiple, even if they may be fickle and with nuance that you'd yet to understand. Homes came and went, people were home, but so were the day to day things you passed. The broken beer bottle in the middle of the food court that no one ever cleaned up, the dry and dirty water fountain, the occasional bouncy ball you'd find on the bottom floor of Toys-R-Us. But also this place smelled and some days it was colder than a witch's tit. Plus, it'd be pretty cool to live somewhere that wasn't rat infested. 

You were starting to get a headache with all the inner conflicts. You just wanted to take a fucking nap.

"This is the only place that can house six people while not having to worry very much about the authorities." Jack told you, no bullshit.

"Yeah, but also there's mold 'n stuff. This place is falling apart." 

"Eh," Natalie shrugged, "She's holdin' together."

Just then a loose ceiling panel dropped from it's rickety frame.Fiberglass dully _thumped_ onto the stale carpet.

Flabbergasted, you continued, "See what I mean? We live in a health hazard. What if that fell on someone's head!?"

"We have icepacks." Jack instinctively went to root around on the inside of his coat but paused. You remember him making a passing comment, he could never keep the things on him. They always melted and would make his clothes damp.

You sighed, "Why don't we just find some other abandoned something or other that isn't as gross?"

Jane crossed her arms, "And just how many places do you think we're just going to stumble across like this, (Y/n)?" 

"I mean, we'll find plenty on Google Maps."

"We don't know how often people go there to spray paint dicks or somethin'." Natalie added, "And we'd have to move all our stuff."

Valid points, but above all else, "Jeff can come back here." You hated that specific sequence of words, you wanted to stop talking but you just kept going, rambling like a dumbass, "Like, he can come and sneak up on us one by one. What if he finds me when I'm sleeping? You know I'd be a goner right? What about-"

"That's enough." Jane cut you off, "We can handle ourselves and we'll figure out how to be safer. But for now, I think you should stop sleeping alone."

Natalie perked up, "She can sleep in my room!" 

"Don't even ask about mine," Jack needlessly added, "(Y/n)'s just going to stink up the place."

"I don't smell?" 

"You smell like human, makes me hungry."

Natalie rolled her eye, "Oh, shut up Jack. You don't have super-smelling or some shit."

Jane tapped her heel impatiently, "Were you lying all this time about that? The hearing too?"

Jack rose his brows, "Why would I ever lie?"

"Yeah, he wants to look cooler." Natalie jeered.

Jane glared at her, "And you didn't tell me that until now?"

Jack unintentionally cut the impending squabble short, "(Y/n), tell them how I smelled your blood."

What is even happening here? "Yeah, you did but I think I smelled it too? Like, I was bleeding a lot." You shifted, bandages quietly crinkling under your pants. "I just don't think I processed all of it for awhile."

"Aha!" Jane exclaimed, "I knew it."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes I- Ugh, now's not the time. Anyway Nat, absolutely not, you sleep in a hammock." Jane pointed out.

"There's plenty of room!"

"Not for two."

"Our bed is big enough." Liu softly offered, speaking in an increasingly different manner, Ezekiel's flaky kindness shining through. 

You tensed, no fucking way. But how could you say that in a way that didn't get you shot? "Uhh-"

"Actually (Y/n), you're sleeping in my room." Jane decided, "I'm a light sleeper. I can protect you."

That was smart actually. Made you feel safe to boot. Cared for. "Thank you."

Liu frowned at the exchange, an unreadable look in his eye. Jane gave him a sidelong glance, taking it in before saying, "All of you stay here. Except you (Y/n), you're coming with me and we're moving you out of that _place."_

You didn't want to argue with her or tell her you thought the nest you had made in Burger King was comfortable as Natalie's arms slid off of your shoulders. Jane walked you out of there, insistent on keeping a hand on your bicep in case you fainted again. The moving process was short, not much to move in the first place. Jane was quiet, only asking needed questions like where you wanted to put your things in Hot Topic. Your toiletries and some borrowed clothes were set beside her suitcase. She put your blanket on the left side of her bed.

Later that afternoon, everyone besides Jack had eaten dinner in the food court. Ezekiel had announced himself before saying grace. He sat himself beside you, patted you on the shoulder, and ate without much incident. Uncomfortable next to him in a shared silence, you'd said, "Hey Natalie, this soup is really good." And then nothing the rest of the meal. 

Jane took you back to your shared room. She said she'd be right there, wasn't tired anyway, wanted to see if Jeff had already made some headlines. Exhausted, you gave her a, "Coolio." And flopped onto her bed. Already asleep before you hit the mattress.

**\----**

Fourteen and a half hours passed by in a millisecond for you. For Jane, not so much. When you'd awoke she slammed her newly dead laptop shut and yanked on chunks of her hair. You dazedly told her the two of you should get breakfast and she nearly gave you a black eye out of surprise. Exhausted, hangry, and at the end of her rope, Jane didn't object to some grub.

Bowls of oatmeal were sat ready and waiting. Natalie was already halfway through hers. Two extra bowls set to the side, ready for delivery to the boys who were with Nina. The usual cardboard taste was combated by a heap of different fruits. Before you even asked she grinned and proudly announced they were stolen from Jack's rooftop garden. 

Over breakfast, Jane filled you in on safety precautions she'd thought of while you were knocked out. Basically, one to two people were going to be constantly checking the mall's perimeter while on the phone with someone else in case anything went sour. Wasn't the best plan in the world, but it was something. 

First shift was Natalie, her phone-in was Jane. The woman had been run ragged and Natalie heavily insisted on her staying in with you. Jane relaxed for an entire two minutes before stress kicked her into gear. You carried the boy's breakfasts while she rambled on about how she _needed_ to check on them. Make sure that everything was going smooth. In her head, there was no more room for error, no more room to enjoy life.

Jane leaned in the doorway, phone pressed to her ear and listening intently to Natalie's report. Clear skies, no Jeff or other proxies in sight. You backed off to let her ruminate. 

The mixed smells of dank metal, artificial lemon, and pomegranate dragged you toward the men. Not to mention your obligation to bring them food.

"Breakfast." You quietly announced. 

Ezekiel turned, face softened and hands ready to receive, "Good morning (Y/n)."

"Hi." He took the bowl from you, fingers brushing passed yours.

"Thank you." He smiled, taking the spoon gently between his middle and pointer, "How are you?" 

"Fine." You said trying to not pay much attention to Nina. 

Bleeding still from the cavity in her chest, she found the room to pettily hiss, "Hello slut." Oh no, she's hydrated and able to speak.

"Hi. Uhm, anyways, Jack your food." You held the bowl up to the man's back.

"I'm busy." _Psssh, psssh, psssh._ Over and over Jack squeezed the ball in his hand, attached to a tube that was linked to a growing band on Nina's arm. "But do me a favor and," Jack lowered himself to a more appropriate height, "Give me a spoonful." The face he wore when he looked to you was dead serious.

"You want me to feed you?" 

"I haven't eaten in twenty hours. It's that or your hands."

Echoloila whipped around it's bastardly head as you parroted the phrase, "I'll eat your hands!"

"Yea, that'll be me in five seconds if you don't." 

"Okay, okay." You relented, grabbing the spoon and resisting the urge to say ' _here comes the airplane'._

Jack leaned forward and closed his lips around the end of the utensil. He pulled back and jutted his head toward the steel table he'd set up beside the chair. You assumed he meant for you to put his food down to be eaten later. The table was chock full of different tools, some you understood, some you did not and were frankly afraid of. He was prepared to do whatever the hell he was doing, that's for sure. You set the bowl down on the clearest spot.

_"My cranberries."_

You shifted uncomfortably, rubbing one sneaker atop the other, "Oh yea, Natalie said something about _using_ your stuff." 

"Of course she did." The air didn't grow uncomfortable, humid, or stiff. "She can use 'my stuff' whenever she wants. Cooks a lot better than I do, _so."_

Blink, blink, "She said she stole it?"

"So she l-" Jack stopped himself and clicked his tounges, "The irony." 

You came over curious about Nina but now that you were here, you wanted to distract yourself. Jack was enabling you and you didn't want him to stop, "What irony?" 

"It's nothing."

"Can I have some?" Nina's eyes were deadest on the bowl.

"No." Jack deadpanned. Completely ignoring her continued whining. "(Y/n), can read this for me?" He tilted a meter you didn't know the name of toward you.

It was a circle lined with black lines and hard to read numbers. "Forty-nine."

"Forty-nine," Nina echoed with a shit eating grin, "That's a sexy bitch number."

"No, it means that you have hypotension."

She noticeably squinted, "I don't know what that even means. Also, just wanted to remind you, you're ugly."

"You have low blood pressure for obvious reasons." Velcro loudly ripped as he pulled the cuff off her arm. He set it on the lower shelf, coming back up and plucking an electric thermometer from the top table.

Nina's face curdled into itself, squinty eyes falling onto you. "Obvious reasons? More like it's _her fault."_

Unphased, Jack grabbed her jaw and pried her mouth wide open.

"Whhhaaat thaa phhhuuck." 

Completely straight faced, he held the thermometer to you. "(Y/n), hold this under her tongue. Make sure the end does not come out of her mouth until it beeps."

"Why me?" That came out a lot more self pitiful than you meant it to.

"Eye chhann dew eet." Ezekiel offered through a mouthful of food.

Last you checked, nurses didn't eat over patients like that. _Especially_ one's with open wounds. "I've got it."

"My body temperature may drastically affect the results."

Made enough sense. You took the squared off end and carefully came closer. She growled at you and tried to shut her mouth but Jack wouldn't allow it. It took some time to get the silvery tip beneath her tongue with all it's lashing.

_Beep! Beep! Beeeep!_

"Read it." Jack directed, letting her jaw go.

"I'm going to stab all of you in the mouth."

Nina's empty threats were completely ignored, "One-O-three."

Jack hummed, taking the thermometer and quickly sanitizing it before setting it back down. "How does she look?"

Nina's skin had a prominent sheen to it as well as being a few shades paler than normal. Constantly squinting too, like she'd just gotten a whiff of wasabi. You relayed the information back to Jack who nodded along.

"Good, good. That makes sense." 

"How so?"

"As I said, hypotension. Those are symptoms. Fever and I'm _assuming_ blurry vision."

Nina writhed in her restraints, "The only thing I'm suffering from is you assholes not being dead!" 

Just ignore her, maybe she'll shut up. "Hm, so what's going on with her, other than that? I mean like, she's not healing and stuff." 

"I'm gathering data. She should have bled out by now but as you know, proxies have an interesting ability to continuously regenerate." Jack must have been waiting for someone to ask because he dumped a heap of information on you in a well thought out fifteen seconds, "But, her blood hasn't coagulated at all despite her body constantly producing more of it. No test cuts have healed either, even the smaller ones. And the last time we," Ezekiel crunched loudly on his food, "Checked her blood pressure earlier, it was higher, even more so the time before that."

Puzzle pieces were starting to click together in your head, "It's falling."

"Her connection is wearing thin." He added.

From across the room, Jane called, "Is she fired or what?"

"Nearly. Once **he** cuts **his** losses, she will completely cease producing new blood. Judging by how she's started to produce less over the past twelve or so hours, it won't be long." Jack had that smile on his face that he had when you first saw him eating human organs. Cat that ate the canary.

This is _nearly_ it. Resolution, part one of two of Noah's death being rectified. Ding-dong, the wicked bitch is _gonna_ be dead. So why did you feel awful? It wasn't exactly empathy, she hadn't earned your sympathy. Could it be that you weren't as tough skinned as you thought you were? You were still soft, tainted and terrible, but not ready. You didn't want to endure the mental strain, you didn't want face the reality that another person was suffering and dying because of you. Even if Nina was a disgusting wretch, you couldn't magically rid yourself of the dilemma bubbling up in your brain.

"How much longer?" Jane pressed.

"I don't know. We'll have to see."

_"La-la-la! I can't hear you!"_

"I wish you could see her face," Jane nastily relayed over the phone, "She looks _horrified."_

" _I look hot, you dumb fuck!"_

"More like a hot mess." Jack quipped as you faded out of the conversation and into your own head.

Comeuppance was a long time coming for her. Fated to rest in a shallow unmarked grave after a prolonged period of suffering. Your animistic subconscious wanted to sway you, tell you that her elongated agony was the best thing in the world. It told you to grab her by the neck and scream. Take out every little emotion out on a dying woman. At the same time, you didn't want that. Nina should die for her crimes against humanity, against you, but she shouldn't _get_ to have a death that she could run her mouth through. No poetic last words, no crocodile tears she could use as a way to make herself seem like the real victim. You didn't want to live through more of her bullshit, you didn't want the swimming feeling of guilt in your stomach anymore. Nina deserved nothingness. And you deserved to uphold some moral righteousness over her, something to pat yourself on the back with. Tell yourself that you were a good person because you advocated for something more painless. But you'd always know that it wasn't only that, it was you being just as bad, vengeful. Pry what little life she had left from her hands, deprive her of the drama of it all.

You snapped out of intense thought and threw the moral suggestion on the table, "Cool, but Jack why isn't she on sedatives? Like, there's no point to having her be awake anymore. It's inhumane."

Before Jack could respond, Nina barked, "Shut the fuck up (Y/n)! You don't get to play the good guy when this is your fucking fault!"

Even if you tried to bestow a dubious mercy onto her, she just had to complain. Bluntly, you told her, "I didn't stab you. Jeff did."

_"Bitch!"_ The chair rattled violently beneath her in an attempt to lunge out of the ropes. You could only imagine how much she wanted to replicate her wound in your chest but, she was weak, tired, and had no means to do so. Her bowtie and various other hidden weapons had been taken off her person awhile back. No one gave enough of a shit about her to offer up even a hairtie. Nina just had to deal with her ass length hair sticking to her lips and planting itself between her teeth. 

"It's your fault I'm still here! One itty-bitty death threat on your stupid ass and _boom!"_ She laughed hysterically, showing off a pale crusted tongue, "My fucking boyfriend stops untying me, stabs me, and _leaves me here_."

The complete story of why Nina was found fucked up and alone had been a mystery. Until now.

You curled your nose back in disgust and reinforced, "I didn't do that. Jeff did."

"I said (Y/n) and behead in the same sentence. Then it happened. Pretty sure it's on you."

Disgust churned your stomach round and round. He was as protective of you as ever. Despite what he'd said, what he'd done, deep down he was still driven to those extremes by one reason and one reason alone. Jeff couldn't bear for anyone else to be the one to kill you. Didn't matter that Nina was more a part of his murderous life than you were, he was sick, obsessed, a man in love. So he left her to die and scampered away to lick his wounds. He'd be back and when he was, you'd better be ready to use that knife.

You would not have her put that blame and guilt on you, "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

You were getting a nasty sense of déjà vu.

A long-winded and overly wordy rant was ready to launch from the tip of your tongue. Ezekiel patted your shoulder, looking at you with a knowing gleam in his eye. You knew what to expect by now.

"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Whoop, there it is.

Frowning at him, you said, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"She's trying to upset you," He softly explained, "It's best to take a step back from this conflict. Calm yourself and let forgiveness into your heart,  
He looked into Jack's unseeing and uncaring sockets," We should sedate her."

You just stared while you processed all that. Is that what he did in regards to your back stabbery? His words didn't completely quell your rage but they did make sense. Nina had to be intentionally trying to get a rise out of you. Just like that, you were back on your original plan. 

Stepping back and sliding Ezekiel's hand away, you reiterated, "She doesn't need to be awake for this."

Jack scoffed at the idea, "Yes, she does."

A nastier part of you agreed with him, physical torment then death. But you weren't a fucking Viking or tough as nails and generally jaded on the idea of death so you pressed further, "This is cruel and unusual punishment."

"Maybe she shouldn't have called me a, quote, ' _over-sized man-whore'._ "

Ezekiel threw in his own biblical two cents, "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." 

If Jack could have rolled his eyes he would have. "I need her to function as naturally as possible so I cant get the best data on the process of a proxy dying. Your discomfort and morals will _not_ stop me from what I've been preparing to do for years."

Your skin prickled at the sudden intensity of his words. But they didn't fly over your head. The fact that she'd get a few extra days of consciousness made you want to scream in frustration. But Jack was more aware of the grandiose impact of **him** , of the proxies, you were just a block at the bottom of a Jenga tower for him to pull. You had to remember that these people weren't just your tiny bubble of monsters. Nina was a horrible memory in the lives of others, a remorseless murdering bitch. If she had to suffer to your distaste just so more people like her would rot or whatever, then so be it.

You backed off your false moral high ground. "Okay." 

A few seconds of silence ticked by. In classic Nina fashion, she just had to brake it, "Anyways, can I get some aspirin? I feel weird."

Cold and clinical, the doctor gave her the prognosis for the third time, "That's because you're dying." 

She dryly swallowed nothing, lips quivering in and out of a frown, "Deadass?"

Jack flatly replied, "Dead. Ass."

Nina looked like she was going to puke. At long last, it was starting to get through her thick skull. Something that seemed to be impossible for the longest time was finally becoming reality. 

**\----**

You didn't sleep last night. For hours and hours you watched Jane tack away at her keyboard, hopping from site to site. She found nothing. Only good thing that came out of it was eventually she fell asleep for the first time in awhile. You were so scared of Jeff somehow finding you by the laptop light that you shut it. Then you scooted closer to her, ready to wake her at any sign of him. Nights were only getting colder and she was warm. Hell, last week it dipped below twenty and you woke up to a frost covering all the remaining vegetation. You hoped that they really did consider moving sometime soon.

Jeff didn't come. Not for you. Not for Nina.

Jane jolted awake sometime in the mid-morning. Groggy, if a little grumpy you let her sleep on the job. She didn't listen to your comments about working herself so hard that she'd be burnt out in no time. Escorting you to Claire's so she and Natalie could go to keep watch around the perimeter. 

Claire's smelled like a slaughterhouse. The carpet around Nina's resting place was stained brown with the constant source of blood. 

You stayed in the doorway awhile, fidgeting with the sleeves of your sweater. It was just the three of you as far as you knew. Jane had ranted to you on the way about Liu driving off to clear his head and other pet peeve she had with him. You'd seen Rake around here and there but you were sure Jack had told him to loosely keep watch of the downstairs part of the mall. 

Eventually, Jack called you over to be his personal assistant. The closer to Nina you got, the worse she looked. In the course of nine or so hours she'd gone from bad to terrible. Her skin had an unhealthy ashy look to it, her eyes were half-lidded and unfocused, there was crusted spit and snot around her nose and lips. No pun intended, but the woman looked like death. 

The hole in her chest dully thumped out blood in weak beats. Outputting _far less_ than before. 

Inmates on death row got to choose their last meal, but not Nina. Jack gave you a fun-sized pack of Jelly-bellies and a tiny water bottle to feed her with. Said that he wanted to see how her body in its current state would react to sugar. She hissed lowly at you but didn't have enough dignity to not eat candy from the palm of your hand like a horse. Leathery tongue intentionally dragging itself across your palm when she was done. Nina weakly laughed when you recoiled.

"What? No more room in your lesbian sex cult?" She sounded like her voice box had been ground against a cheese grater.

You sighed, relenting to not lowering yourself to argue with a dying woman, "Nope."

"Hah, knew you were screwin' 'em. Always had a good gauge for that sorta thing. Bet you're sinking your teeth into him too, huh?" Nina smiled, colorful bits of candy stuck between her unbrushed teeth. "Eeh, wait, that's shit phrasing, you look and act like a total bottom. Bet he-"

Jack cut her off, "We get it."

"Don't act like you don't love my constant commentary." Did he not gag her? You could only imagine the mental torture Jack had been put through.

"It's _something."_

"Hah." Nina blinked slow and let her eyes wander to the ceiling. She stared and stared, keeping her eyes open as long as she could before having to shut them for just a nanosecond. Even if she was suffering, she wanted to feel like she was living, count the ceiling tiles while she still could. Take account of all the different stains before she was whisked away to hell or nothingness.

Jack stomped every once in awhile in her silence. Carefully taking blood samples. Nina laid and let herself be uncharacteristically quiet. Your theory was that she was daydreaming about frolicking through a field of flowers with Jeff. Alternatively, chasing you through a cornfield together.

"So I've been thinking." She started dryly.

"Shocker." Jack hummed while casually sterilizing his scalpel.

"Fuck off." Nina humorlessly laughed. "But he's not coming back, is he?"

You were a little too happy to report, "No."

"At least not while you're around." Jack added.

Nina rubbed her chapped lips together. "That supposed to mean I only got two slutty, slutty days left to live, Doc?" Profanity was a terrible cover-up for the fact that tears were beginning to roll down her ashy cheeks.

"At the rate that you're going, I'd say two days is a _generous_ estimate." Jack pulled up her shirt sleeve all the way up to her shoulder. Her right arm had been pulled out of the bindings awhile ago for him to take samples off. It was no threat, he'd completely severed her tendon before you came. All of her bracelets had been haphazardly dropped on the floor, beads crushed by his uncaring boot. "But I don't know exactly how long you have."

"Hm. You're a pretty shitty doctor letting me bleed out like this."

"That's the point." He ran his fingers along her flesh, pursing his lip in thought. Where, oh where to cut? 

Though his finger hand long since passed by the spot on her wrist, your eyes lingered. You'd only heard about this sort of thing in clickbait articles online. Never before had you seen someone so vehemently devoted to another that they'd go thatfar. Letters etched long ago into her wrist, scarred and still legible, read the name that seemed to follow you everywhere: JEFF.

Jeff the deserter, alcoholic, sadsack, killer. That's who she was dying over. Under different circumstances, could that have been you? If you were thirteen and he came to you, hurt and homicidal, would you house him? Keep him from the authorities, grow closer, think that you could change him when in actuality he was rotting you from the inside out? Nina hadn't earned your sympathy but she did earn depressed pity.

"I've bled out a lot of times but it's never felt this shitty." Nina didn't even flinch when Jack neatly slid the blade into her bicep. Artificial blue slid to meet with (e/c). When she gazed into you, she sighed, long and tired. 

"You're next, you know?" Never before had she been so serious, so genuine, at least you thought she wasn't acting. Couldn't really tell.

"I know." Your stuffed your hand into your pocket, fingers fidgeting with a gum wrapper Natalie forgot about. "Jack told me he's gonna kill me when this is all over."

"Can't guarantee it'll be any nicer." Your potential killer commented.

If Nina was anything to go by, he was dead serious. "I know."

Nina shook her head, "Not him, dumbass. I mean Jeff will. Trust me, the second he catches a whiff of you fuckin' around, he's gonna gut you."

"I'm not actually sleeping with anybody."

"If it hasn't happened yet, it will. Saw you holding hands with Clockhead. Saw you come in with power bottom. This one," She looked at Jack, "Tough nut, but I smell sexual repression and-"

"Not that I care, but get back to talking about your feelings." Jack grumbled, carefully cutting lean muscle, slowly peeling a square chunk out of her arm.

Nina dryly chuckled before falling back into her depressing monologue, "He's too possessive over you to let that go, and ever since you showed your face, he's gotten really touchy. Usually, I can push my luck with him but this time he, ya'know." The slit beat weakly. You could have sworn it was pumping out less blood than when you came in. "I know it sounds stupid, but I never thought he'd hurt me like this."

"He was a violent kid," Chronic toothy smiler, shower hater, sweetest shoplifter, "But I never thought he'd end up like this either."

She loudly snorted back snot, still trying to pretend like she wasn't crying, "Guess we both got played."

Repulsively, you felt a strong solidarity with her, fingers reaching for the ghost, "I guess we did."

In the moments of your camaraderie, Jack finally plucked the flesh completely free from Nina. Idly humming and sealing it away for later inspection. He'd been working diligently the whole time, but he'd also been in one of the best moods you'd ever seen him in. Not just one where he didn't constantly undermine everybody's intelligence, but one where he came off as excited. You bet if you asked him about whatever medical stuff he was doing, he wouldn't shut up for the next three hours. You considered it, hearing people ramble on about their passions was a great way to grow closer. But did you even want to get closer to that haughty, rude, shithead? If he wasn't a monster, then no. Since Jack had something to offer, you guess you could endure some rain checked bonding.

"I should've have stayed off the internet." She started again, quieter this time. How many times would it take before she wouldn't have anything else to say? "I should'a paid attention in school and listened to my parents. My life-" Nina trailed off, sinking into her own memories, smiling face and one's twisted in betrayed agony alike, "Podria haber salido mejor. Should'a joined the cool gay side years ago."

"You made your bed." Jack commented. 

Nina laughed humorlessly, "I'm trying to reflect on my life over here and you gotta be a wet blanket."

He made a face, _feelings, eugh._ "Do what you want."

"Glad I got your esteemed permission, God-man. Anyway! It would be pretty cool if I wasn't dying here."

You stiffened, "Don't even ask about us letting you go."

"I won't. I know it's over." She hadn't stopped crying. "Jeff isn't coming. Honestly," Nina clenched her jaw, bracing herself to make a long withheld confession, "He never loved me the way he loves you."

You took a step back, heart spiking under her bitter attention, "He doesn't love me."

She laughed nastily, "Sure, sure. So he just didn't use me as an obvious replacement for you after Natalie?"

"Nat's gay?"

"No shit. They were close though. Sometimes when he's sober he'd talk about her, he misses her a lot. Misses you more. Both of us were just stand-ins for you. It's pretty fucking obvious. Always thought that I could change that, but nope! Just ended up wasting my life on some skinny white boy."

Your skin crawled and you got the sudden urge to scratch at your forearms. She dumped her troubles shamelessly onto you. What were you supposed to say? _'Sorry my ex-bestie is obsessively in love with me even though we were friends a decade ago'?_ Or was a simple _'My bad,'_ better? "Uhh-"

"Save it, words can't do shit for me. But you can do me a few favors."

"You got my friend killed. I don't own you shit."

"I get that we're not the closest but I'm on my deathbed here. Come on." She insisted.

The urge to puke was strong. "Don't talk to me like that."

"Oh shit, force of habit. Talked to Jeff like that all the time. Kinda had to." _User_ , you thought sourly, _fucking vile manipulator._ "Look, just hold my hand, okay?" Even the vilest of evils needed somebody to lean on. Support from the only person who might give it. Solidarity in betrayal. 

"Why?" Your fingers twitched.

Gaunt faced and pathetic. Nina begged, "Please (Y/n), I need this."

Forgiveness for her was non-existent. You despised Nina with every fiber of your being and sort of enjoyed the dramatic irony she'd fallen right into. But you wanted to be better than her, less of a petty, hateful, asshole. You took her limp hand as an act of self righteousness and revenge. She'll suffer knowing that your touch was far more tender and emotionally charged than Jeff's would ever be. Her palm was cold and clammy, horrible to hold. You interlaced your fingers between hers. Then you closed her fingers around the back of your hand. Gentle, passing off comfortable heat.

You looked her dead in her watery eyes. "I hate you."

Nina's face crossed from lost to teeth-baringly hateful to bitterly accepting before she spoke, "I hate you too." She left it at a simple low note for only a second before getting something off her chest that wasn't liters of blood, "But, I can see why he likes you." Wink. "I expected you to be a lot different. I mean, at first you sorta still fit the soft, innocent, afraid of her own shadow, (Y/n). You're not the same now." 

"Yeah, being with these people does something to you." Who even were you two months ago? "I think the stupidity is contagious, no offense."

"Some taken." Jack chuckled.

"Wow, Mister 'I don't care about anyone other than myself', I didn't expect to hurt your feelings." You ribbed.

"You didn't. Nice try though."

"This is exactly what I'm talkin' about." Nina carefully observed the both of you, the casual proximity, you not tensing up whenever Jack spoke or came even closer. "You're different. Jeff's only clung to you so long because you made him feel like a hero, but you don't need his protection anymore. Since you're _allegedly_ not fucking the whole football team, he's gonna kill you over that instead."

You felt weak that you couldn't fend off Jeff or the proxies on your own, that you couldn't throw a knife through someone's hand, or pick people up like Barbie dolls. You wished that you could defend yourself from the super freaks of the world but the bitter reality was that you probably would never be able to. Always needing some other murderer to finish the job for or with you. _With._ That was a step up from when you first came, you learned dirty fighting team work. Maybe you weren't as combat challenged as you thought. 

"If anyone's killing (Y/n), I am." Jack echoed your earlier claim. 

"You really think you can beat him, don't you?"

You gripped her hand tighter. Seeds of doubt watered by her words. 

"With the team I've built, yes." Jack said without youthful wonderlust. Even the worn and tired could have their own form of hope.

She just hardly quirked a brow. "That was cheesy as fuck, but okay. You know the power of friendship isn't real right?" 

Jack grimaced at the concept, "These people aren't my friends."

You glanced at him. Cracks in his cool persona were glaringly obvious. Not one to dance around these things, you put it bluntly, "You don't act like we aren't, completely anyways."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He seemed almost offended.

You shrugged, "You hang around people a lot even when you're like _'Grrrr, you're all so annoying.'"_ Your free hand morphed into an exaggerated claw, vocal cords begging you to stop doing such a terrible impression of his voice. "I think you're a complete jerk but like, dude come on." Natalie's speech patterns were really starting to rub off on you. The other day you found yourself unable to stop repeating the phrase _bitchin'_ and it was all her fault.

_"I do not talk like that."_ Was he intentionally ignoring your solid point?

A grin couldn't help but spread across your lips. You'd get back to interrogating him in a second but this was too good of a chance to make fun of him, _"What, like this?"_

He held up a pointer finger, ready to be a complete poindexter. "I-"

"Y'all can hatefuck after I die. Can we have some Nina time? I'd like some attention when I'm literally dying." Nina jerked in her restraints for a little more drama. You weren't going to miss her. The two of you cut the banter short. _"Thank you."_ She spat, "I don't care if you're friends or not, you can't do it. But, (Y/n) I've got another favor for you do to for me from beyond the grave or whatever."

You shifted anxiously from foot to foot, "What is it?"

"Stab him. Don't care with what, just do it. Right here." Her chin doubled when she tilted her head down to take in the wound, "I know it won't kill him but it's the thought that counts."

Natalie's gift weighed your pocket down. _Use me. Use me._

Jack burst her bubble with a dull precision, "(Y/n) definately doesn't have the strength to pierce through a sternum."

"Oh yea," Nina dumbly realized, "Anywhere works really. Just make sure it _hurts."_

 _"_ If it comes to that, I'll try my best." Lifeless metal in your pocket cheered for impending bodily harm. You weren't as enthusiastic as the unthinking thing you projected your darker thoughts onto.

She smiled, _really_ smiled, at you. For a split second, you saw the normal-ish woman she could have been. Then she opened her mouth, voice weak and hoarse but still terrified and filled with bitter resentment, "Good. I hope from somewhere, I get to see the fucking look on his face when you do."

You daydreamed about her being like a grain of sand in the desert. Unfortunately, Nina was one of the few exceptional people who could make something of a dent on the world. Slashing up innocents for the consumption of an eldritch entity, leaving their families to morn in their memory. They'd remember her, tell their stories of her. You would too, you'd never forget her lipstick stained teeth. In a way, a part of her would always live on in your memory. Only the good parts, like that smile.

At a loss for words, you simply squeezed her hand like two solid heartbeats. 

Nina sunk into her deathbed. Miserable, in pain, and unloved. "It's not possible, but an evil bitch can dream. I hope you kill him." 

"Yeah," You robotically replied, "Me too."

A few hours dragged by, your hands still hatefully locked. You couldn't wait to let go and wash it for ten minutes. Jack took her blood pressure again. It was low. Really low. About an hour ago she started to get very touch and go. Passing out for an indeterminate period of time before waking up, semi-lucid and saying the first thing that came to mind.

The last and most coherent one was the worst, low and begging and so _weak_ , "I'm scared. Don't let go."

You didn't.

Jack was like a worker bee, checking every little thing he could. Rambling on about his personal theory on how proxies bodies regenerated. You did your best to stay awake but everything with Nina was exhausting. Half conscious and sitting on the floor, holding Nina's hand that limply hung off the chair's side, you did your best to listen. **H** **e** makes proxies cells shake or something like that? Energy and forced mitosis. Crazy mitochondrias. Excess stem cells stored somewhere. Honestly, he started to sound like he was just throwing a bunch of words around he'd learned in eighth grade science class. You didn't get to ask because, at some point or another, you completely conked out.

**\----**

You opened your eyes. The ceiling was different, you were comfortable, warm, it smelled like pomegranates.

Keyboard strokes drew your attention to Jane. Nightgown slipping off her shoulders, wavy hair spilling onto her back. Mask lit blue from the humming laptop. 

"You need to get out of the habit of falling asleep on floors." She calmly nagged.

You sleepily hummed, comfortably enjoying her soft mattress. "Yeah sorry, I was just _so_ tired last night."

Jane breathily chuckled, "I know, you didn't stir at all when I carried you back." She sure was in a good mood. Surprising for someone who did not come off as a morning person at all.

For some reason your stomach did a flip and you had to suppress a smile. Trying to ignore it, you continued on your earlier thought, "Nina is just really draining to talk to."

Jane paused, mask tilting toward you. Finger tapping over and over on the j-key. She came out with it, somewhat gently, somewhat happy, "Nina died last night."

This time your stomach dropped and you knew exactly why. You weren't devastated or even angry, but you weren't as happy as you thought you'd be. It felt weird, like it wasn't real. "For good?"

"For good."

Back broken the night you met. Neck twisted around and around, unwinding before your eyes. Despite what you knew was happening, her death felt impossible, till now. And the one time it actually mattered, you missed it.


	32. 31 - Lift Your Spirits

Eyes dry of tears, heart whole, stomach full, head swimming. 

Sad, angry, or overjoyed were all the wrong descriptors for your mood. Plainly put, you felt _weird._

After years of trial and error, a proxy was definitively fired and killed. If one could be, then all of them could, so could Jeff. It didn't feel real. You knew Nina was gone, Jane wouldn't lie to you for no reason like that. You had a hard time fully coming to terms with it, mostly because you hadn't seen it happen. Hearing about it second hand felt so anticlimactic. But that's life, isn't it? Unpredictable, unfair, and generally stupid.

At the very least you could take some solace in the fact that Nina got _exactly_ what she deserved.

Jane had a noticeable pep in her step as you walked together. "Now, I know we've still got a lot work to do but isn't this nice?"

You couldn't completely understand the notion of being so delighted after a death. Even the death of an enemy. Jane was being wickedly disrespectful about the whole deal, asking you prying questions about what it was like talking with her. She personally hadn't gotten to tell her how vile she thought the other woman was and made no effort to hide her disappointment. Lucky for her, she had your account to live vicariously through. Chuckling and delightedly clapping her hands whenever something you'd said or done was to her liking. Jane lifted some of the odd weight off your shoulders, shit talking the dead was mildly thrilling with it's inherent taboo, while also making you feel like a morally reprehensible person. Duality's fun.

"Which part?" You cast a sidelong glance at her for only a moment. Most of your attention was focused on the floor, avoiding slippery bits of moss and withered baby trees. Falling on your face and breaking a mug was not in your early afternoon plans. The real plan was to go out and celebrate. What exactly you were going to do was still up in the air, but a little mindless fun sounded nice. 

"We don't have to hear her talk anymore. God, I hated her voice." Jane playfully berated.

"Hm, yeah." You droned, focused on the knife holding pig. _Fre h Me t D li_ was getting closer with every step. Jack was currently in the middle of performing a thorough autopsy. Had been for the past few hours. Originally, you weren't going to pay him and the body a visit, but when you brought up to Jane your inability to fully accept Nina's passing; she got a bright idea. Bring Jack some coffee to keep him going! Instant, room temperature, grainy, but still coffee. 

You were far from excited to go back there, remembering the last time not so fondly. To distract yourself from the bubbling dread in your stomach, you kept the conversation going, "At least we won't have to keep watch anymore."

"Not exactly," Jane reminded, "We have to keep watch for _him."_

"Yeah, I know but-" There was hardly anything good to say about it. "But at least we get to walk around?" Your voice betrayed you, the quiver letting Jane know how you felt, conflicted and unsure.

"Uh-huh." She flatly replied, shifting on her heels after you both came to a stop in front of the deli. "Anyways, he's back there with _it._ I'm going to talk with Natalie about her shift then I'll be back and we can go." 

Jane didn't even politely ask if that sounded good. She was already walking away with the final word.

You dropped it for now and braced yourself for the journey into the backroom. Getting to the door was easy enough, but you hesitated to push it completely open. Just barely cracked open so you couldn't see inside.

You wanted to see the body for your comfort, but this place had a real nasty memory tied to it. One you didn't want to relive. Jack had all his tools in there. A will and a way to remove the skin off your back, surgically remove a kidney and eat it right in front of your face.

Creepily enough, you heard him softly humming a tune. One you didn't recognize from anywhere but it embodied the word content. 

The humming stopped, followed by a firm _thump._

"(Y/n)," Jack knowingly called, "You can come in."

Jack may have been a mean man-eating douche, but you couldn't completely hate the supernatural lure that was his voice. Without even thinking, you opened up the door.

Step, step, _groan,_ _thunk._ This is it. Your chance to check. Door shut behind you and no excuse to leave. Though your shoelaces looked awfully nice today, you couldn't stare at them forever. Vertebrae by vertebrae, you lifted your head.

There she was. Lain on a cold metal table, blanketed legs facing you. Rehearsed words fell from your lips and you slowly stepped closer.

Naked, pale, still. A far cry from the night you met. 

Eyes shut, mouth peaked open into a frown, Nina looked indifferent about being dead. You knew otherwise, you could see the puffiness around her eyes, the dried snot around her muzzle. If her lack of sass and breathing weren't enough for you to believe it then, her opened up chest really hammered the nail in the coffin. It was less bloody than you expected. Likely because a decent deal of her blood had been drained off into various buckets. From her lower belly to just below her collar bone, her skin had been neatly unzipped and peeled to either side of her body. Fat and abdominal muscles were completely removed, sitting in the bottom of a bucket by your feet. Her sternum was removed, ribs cleanly severed to reveal what they'd once protected. You tried to not let your attention linger on the pink and red gore, but you now had an impression of a real digestive system burned into your memory. Nina's heart seemed to stare at you. Jack's post-postmortem meddling had no hand in the slit in her aorta. Quiet. Unbeating.

For decency's sake, her lower half had a tarp thrown over it. Who knew Jack could be _semi-courteous_ to the dead?

"She died while she was unconscious." Jack piped up, "But I think it's safe to say whatever last moments of lucidity she had were," He smiled and huffed out a laugh, "Horrible to say the least." 

You weakly let out a sound of confirmation, trying incredibly hard not to use the bucket as a vomit pail. 

He chuckled at your staring, "Not used to this still, huh?"

Grossed out, mildly mortified, and sort of okay with this, you held the cup toward him and mumbled, "Brought you coffee."

"I'm guessing Jane put you up to this?" You nodded. "Thought so, always wants to make sure everyone's working as intended. If she asks about how I'm doing, tell her I'm fine." Instead of taking it as you expected, he jutted a thumb over his shoulder, "Do me a favor and put some blood in it for me." 

"Yeah, sure." You know you hit rock bottom when someone saying that to you doesn't phase you in the slightest. 

You walked in a wide circle around the table. Quite a bit of blood had spilled off it's sides and you didn't feel like scrubbing the stuff out of your shoes _again._

Jack stretched his arms over his head and sighed. Knuckles crisply _popping_ as he massaged them with the ball of his palm. 

While he went about stretching out and sliding off blood slathered gloves, you arrived at a shelf. Oftentimes Jack came off as a holier than thou type but even he couldn't resist the weird gross habits of a man in his twenties. He kept a half rolled up blood bag out in the open. Mostly empty with it's plastic tube tinted slightly gray. Glorified juice box. 

You set the cup down and got to work on being the world's most fucked up barista. Blood dripped into the watery mixture, thickening it up and giving it a richer color. Admittedly, if you didn't know what was in there, you'd take a sip. That was if your appetite wasn't completely spoiled by the things on the shelf. Viscous fluid suspending tongues, eyes, and fingers gave you serious flashbacks to the lockers. Skin prickling when you thought about how they were only feet away, how Jack was probably thinking the same thing.

The white boxes with red letters reading: HUMAN ORGAN: FOR TRANSPLANT, didn't help lift your spirits either. You wondered what was in them. Part of Nina you didn't see in the bucket perhaps? Or the stomach of some poor sap who was at the wrong place at the wrong time? 

Any second now he was gonna make some snarky comment about you being afraid of him. You turned and held out his vile beverage. Eyes flickering to Nina's pale and exposed body, words tumbling out of your mouth without much thought, "Is she really dead?"

He gestured toward the body, rigor mortis in full swing. "As a doornail." 

"I see that, but how do you know all of that won't start healing again?" You cringed at the thought of muscles crawling back over her guts.

Jack plucked the mug from your hand, sipping before sighing, "Technically, it is. **He** can resurrect people," An unreadable expression crossed his face. "I'm hoping my influence will negate that if **he** tries it. But really, I don't think that's going to happen. Being fired mean's **he** sees you as useless, not much point in bringing back something that won't benefit you personally." 

Business casual necromancer, cool but terrifying. Humorlessly, you attempted to laugh off the heebie-jeebies, "Man, every time you guys talk about **him** , **he** just gets scarier." 

Another long sip. "I'm _not_ afraid of that thing. Just try not to die without my permission, being brought back by **him** is-" He couldn't put the experience into words, mouth screwing up and eyebrows knitting. Your mind jumped to _fucking batshit insane awful._ Jack didn't leave you completely hanging, simply saying, "You don't come back the same."

In the early days of your stay here, he'd said something about being superior to the others for getting somewhat of a college education. Never finished because he died. You glanced at the man who was completely immersed in his coffee and thought to yourself, _what happened?_

You shuffled closer, pushing Jack-centric curiosities back for now. Mainly focused on how much more confident you felt, now that you knew Nina couldn't suddenly spring up, pull a knife out of nowhere and chase you around butt-naked. The longer you looked at the gore, the better you felt. She was dead and gone, for real this time.

There's a slim chance that may not last, "How long until **he** won't be able to bring her back?"

"Oh, I don't know." Terrifyingly casual he waved the notion off, "She's my first _so._ It could take weeks to years for her to fully decompose so, I'm thinking that I'm going to observe separate removed parts of her. Preserve some of the fun bits for later observation, keep some in the open to study decomposition rates between a normal human and a proxy. But," He annoyedly groaned, "Of course Natalie is late with my other _subject_ and lunch."

You cringed and delivered the news, "Jane just went to talk to her, I don't think she even left yet."

Broad shoulders slacked, "Seriously?"

"Yea."

"I am _so_ calling her." Jack grumbled, pulling his phone from his pocket.

_Shhht, shhht, shhht._

He lowered his phone, brows knitting. 

"That Rake?" You asked, eyes glued to the door. 

_Shhht, shhht, shhht._

"No," Jack said lowly, "It's someone but I don't recognize them."

When you lived with someone for awhile, you got to know the sound of their walk. There was no horrible s _sskkrrch,_ or distinct _click, clack,_ not even close to the quick _tip, tap_ and it couldn't possibly be Jack. 

_Shhht, shhht, shhht._

A loud shuffle, getting closer and closer.

Cold, hard fear gripped your heart, "Jeff?" Your fingers sunk into your pocket's entrance. Lifeless metal cheered as your fingers wrapped around the handle.

He shook his head, "No one we know."

"Proxy?"

"I don't know."

Wayward urban explorers were bound to come into a place like this. Incredibly well preserved, filled with plant life and rats. What they didn't know was who was living here. Before, you'd never heard a peep on the news about people dying in this place. If you thought about it, the gang had to be awfully careful with who and where they killed. Definitely couldn't be anyone who came in here, people would come looking and home would be compromised. 

_Shhht, shhht, shhht._

Closer. Had to be in the deli. 

"Is the door locked?" You whispered.

Jack took in a sharp breath, "Didn't you lock it when you came in?"

"I don't think so?" _Uh-oh._

You scrambled to quickly and quietly lock the door.

Too late, it was already opening. 

You screeched the first thing that came to mind, " _Get out! I'm naked!"_

They heaved, opening the door to it's full extent and exposing themselves to a _strange_ sight. Someone screaming at them, while not being as nude as they claimed, a seven foot tall gray man, the heavy scent of blood, and a cadaver.

You'd never seen the person before. Their clothes were plain, they didn't wear a mask nor did they clutch a can of spray-paint or a camera. Pale skin, blue eyes, the blondest hair you'd ever seen. Violently Scandinavian, but not someone that you could pick out of a crowd.

Something in their toothy grin was _wrong_ , eyes too wide, too blue. How could a human strike more fear into you than the first time you saw Rake?

They outstretched their arms and exclaimed, _"T_ _here Malice Striker sucked corpses of the dead!"_

Huh?

Utterly starstruck, they shoved you to the side. Didn't even acknowledge your existence. "I can't believe it! I found you!"

The air seemed to shift immediately into something hot, sticky, and humid. You saw Jack tense in a way you'd never seen, like a cat holding it's tail straight up, hair raised. 

"You shouldn't be here." Jack lowly growled, the discordant echo hurting your head, _"Don't you remember?"_

"Ooh! Yes, of course, of course." They approached Jack slow and steady, low and hands open, palms face up. You feared for the monster despite his capabilities. "But I felt drawn here. You had to have been calling to me. _I know it!_ "

_"Leave."_ Jack's clawed fingers twitched, tempted. Yet the self-proclaimed ruthless God didn't immediately attack, something was holding him back. 

"How rude of me! I forgot to recite Bellows' texts!"

Jack didn't protest but his fists balled, lip curdled, and breathing got audibly louder. You felt like you were standing in invisible pea soup, air impossibly constricting, any moment you thought you might burst. 

They breathed in and out before they began to recite in a low voice, " _From below the dragon dark comes forth,_ "

Stranger and stranger, Jack actually stepped back with every step Blondie took forward, body shaking.

" _Nithhogg flying from Nithafjoll;_ " 

Should you say something? Should you threaten them? What's going on?

Passionate and loud, they came closer and smiled wider, " _The bodies of men on his wings he bears,_ " 

"Uh, hey man, we're trying to film here. Can you get out?" You sneered in your best impression of a pissy production assistant. 

Jack's back hit the shelf, chest heaving and wearing an expression you'd never seen on him. One you wore often, panic.

Multiple small jars of various human bits tipped.

They finished screaming over a cacophony of shattering glass. _"The serpent bright: but now must I sink!"_

Sweat perspired on your skin. Unknown fluids splattered onto your shoes. A cloudy eyeball rolled between Blondie's feet. 

Nothing about his appearance changed, but he didn't seem like himself. The usually cocky, know-it-all, God complex having, giant, was reduced to a mess who choked on his words, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish out of water.

Noticing this, the stranger tilted their head, "What's wrong? Did I get the translation wrong? If you'd like I can try to recite the original but nobody's been able to get it right since," Hot, hotter, sweltering, "Leader Jenny Sm-"

Jack's face caved into itself and from somewhere deep in his chest came a ragged, **_"NO!"_**

Something hot and fast whipped through the air, not an object or thing, it was more like a vibrating wind that shook your very bones. If that wasn't bad enough, your ears were tender and you were filled with an indescribable terror.

_**SSHHHK!**_

Hot mist fanned your face. The black tendril stopped it's violent swing, so fast you hadn't even seen it come out from behind his back. Blondie wasn't standing anymore. The larger half of their body was face down, a messy severance ran from the edge of their lip to the back of their split head. Tongue sticking oddly up, some teeth scattered about the room. Dark blood poured forth, spreading fast across the corpse. Yet, in no time soon would it reach the top half of their head, as it lay far across the room. Propped up by it's front teeth and meaty exposed vertebrae. Blonde locks framing their slacked face.

You felt like you'd been slapped, recoiling from the sudden shocking violence. Except you were untouched, save for the stranger's blood peppering your cheeks. You'd never learned how to act like a 'normal' person in the face of homicide, you were on your own for this one. What were you even supposed to say? Should you run? What if he took that as you trying to escape and partially decapitated you too? 

But you knew full well, he wouldn't kill you yet. Even if he was pissed. So why haven't you left yet? 

Shaking and looking like he was three seconds from showing you real life molten vomit, Jack reached for the mask hanging at his hip. He hastily snatched the thing, slapping it over his face and scrambling to secure the straps. All the while telling you firmly to, **"Get out."**

"I-" At this point, you were used to him _acting_ like he was terrifying. Used to brushing off his threats and not getting a spike of adrenaline whenever he came near. Now though, you were thrown for a loop, he really was menacing as all fuck when he wasn't actively trying to be. Must have been all your doubts about his bad intentions that kept you there. That and on some level, you recognized that he was upset and it put more of a damper on your mood than Nina's corpse. "Are you okay? Should I go get somebody?"

Tighter and tighter he pulled the painted wood to his face. He wasn't shaking anymore but there was a distinct tremor to his voice, _**"Out."**_

You physically recoiled at the growl, putting your hands in front of your chest in an act of surrender. "I just wanna hel-"

**_"OUT!"_**

Scared out of your wits and having nearly jumped out of your skin, you said a hasty, "Bye!" Before scampering to the door, yanking it back open and running away from the sauna of a backroom.

The air quality didn't start to get better until you were six stores away and even then you didn't stop running. Instinct had put a fire under your ass, telling you that Jack, that _thing,_ was dangerous and you were not supposed to be anywhere near it.

You didn't know what it was that made you run into Toys-R-Us, maybe it was instinct or something magically guiding you. But you were skidding to a stop before a confused pair of women before you knew it. Keeling over, hands on your thighs and taking heaving breaths as they questioned your frazzled state.

"Jack, stranger, weird talking, head gone, dead, yelled." You blabbered between breaths.

"Yea, we heard that too." Jane looked past your shoulder as if Jack was going to resurface any second and apologize for the noise.

Natalie nastily laughed, "I thought bible boy stubbed his toe."

You straightened up, shaking your head, "This is serious. He killed somebody!"

"I heard you the first time." Nat said far too casually. Sometimes you forgot that in this place, you were the odd one out.

Jane balled her fist around jingling keys, "Doesn't he know how stupid that i-"

Nat put a hand on her shoulder, "Cool it, _Chou._ I think I-"

She paused, watching Jane whip out her phone and furiously type the name into google translate. "Did you just call me a _cabbage?"_

 _"It's a term of endearment!"_ Natalie playfully argued, "It's cute."

Jane put a hand on her hip.

"Also because they're big and round like," Nat put her hands in front of her chest and groped at empty hair, " _Honk-a, honk-a."_

"Natalie!" Jane snapped, glancing at you for your reaction which was basically nothing as you were still reeling from the gruesome murder. "Now's not the time to be joking around."

"You were the one who had a problem with it." She pointed out before shifting into a more serious attitude, "Really though, it'll be fine."

"People are gonna come looking." 

You crossed your arms, eyes glued to your bloodstained shoes.

"Not in a way that you'd think. If it's the sort of person I'm thinking it is, then we're good." Natalie relayed.

Two deaths in under twenty-four hours. A toll was piling up on your mental state. You were shaking and incredibly close to pissing your pants.

"Fuck ton more stragglers back then. Haven't seen one of those creepy blonde bitches in awhile actually."

_How many more dead people would you see before this was through? Why couldn't you care more like a normal person? Why didn't you scream, sob, throw things, and keep trying to escape?_

"No one's ever- Hey, holy shit is she okay?"

_Were you a bad person? What makes a bad person?_

"(Y/n)."

_What the fuck's going on with you?_

Firmly a hand placed itself onto your shoulder. Ripped from a vast sea of intrusive thoughts, you looked up to Jane, afternoon light from glass doors framing her silhouette in an ethereal halo. Took your breath away harder than a punch to the gut. Angel. Righteous and ready to triumph over evil.

Confessions of admiration couldn't push past your closed throat. 

"(Y/n)." The title fell from hidden lips, laced with concern and care. What had you done to deserve this? To only ever be teased with a painted, lifeless smile. When would you get to see the real thing? How would it feel if a mask was able to comfort you? Could it relieve you of your problems?

Squeeze, squeeze, "Are you alright?"

You jerked out of your stream of thought, uncharacteristically wistful. It was just you clinging to the closest most comfortable thing. Nothing more. You were just being a little fucking weirdo. 

"Uh! Yeah, well- No, murder." Way to go idiot, you sounded like a Disney channel teenage boy with a crush. Quick, change the subject off yourself, "Why aren't we worrying about the dead person? How'd you know they were blonde?"

Natalie snapped her fingers, "Cultist."

"Oh! Yea, he mentioned having one." You nodded, silently reveling in the fact that Jane hadn't removed her comforting hand.

"Right." Jane relaxed her shoulders, "I forgot about that."

She left herself wide open to be joked at for not being as competent as she played herself up to be. Instead of quipping, Nat frowned, "I get that, but guys, some random person just wandered in and no one stopped them. I'm not worried about myself or Jack or even bean pole boy, but what if that happens again and (Y/n)'s alone?"

Jane sputtered, suddenly realizing, "You came here alone, didn't you? Why would you do that!? You could have gotten killed."

A chill clambered down your spine, "I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry, I just- He was really scary, okay?" 

The two exchanged glances.

Jane started, "Just try not to be alone if you're not in any immediate danger and have to run, okay?"

You felt like a dog on a leash with the restriction but you knew it was for your prolonged existence. Safe to say, you didn't want to get stabbed. "Yeah, okay."

"Good. I think we should go check on-"

"Don't," Nat cut her off, "He's going to need some time to cool off. You guys just head out and do your thing. I'll get him something to eat then, I'll try to talk to him."

"Is it smart for us to leave?" You piped up, anxiously fiddling with your sleeve, "I mean, I trust that you know what you're doing but what if something happens?"

"Nothing will. Asshole's probably high out of his mind or jerking off right now. Won't be back for awhile, trust me when I say that we have time to fuck around _safely."_ She made a shooing motion with her hand, "Get outta here already, you both deserve a break. Steal me somethin' nice, alright?"

Utterly instant, no matter what you thought of or said, she negated. Reiterating similar yet solid points over and over. Got to the point that she was gently pushing you to the car with Jane leading the way. 

Keys were pressed into your hands and you don't think you'd been happier in weeks. True vehicular freedom! Anything was possible! Except going back to your apartment. Jane wouldn't allow it and you'd given up on the chances of a normal, long, life. Natalie refused the offer of being dropped off somewhere, said that she wanted to get a good run and hunt it, all on her own. Terrifying! You tried not to think about how normal it was to hear something like that and the fact that later tonight you might see a corpse or two carried over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Food. 

You wouldn't forget Nat's comment about the cultist anytime soon. _"I gotta get him something else. Those people are bad meat."_

Safety first. You adjusted the seat to better fit your stature and buckled up. "So," Nervously chuckling to try and brush off the shakes, "Where are we going?" 

"You're the one who suggested Bath and Bodywork's." Jane chuckled, mirroring your precautions.

"Right! Right. I remembered that." No, you did not. "Anyway! Why are you letting me drive and does Liu know that we're going out?" You flipped the engine, excitedly wiggling your fingers around the steering wheel. Memories flashed images of Nina grinning, sitting where you are now, acting like your friend before she sent her dog after you and Noah. 

"Thought that you could use it, you seem," She tapped her fingers on her chin in thought, "Restless."

Right she was because the second you were clear to go, you hit the gas way too hard. The car lurched into motion, Jane instinctively grabbed onto the roof handle as if she were a parent teaching their kid how to drive, clearly not trusting your ability. You quickly smoothed out the speed but you couldn't stop your fidgety fingers or the fact that you continuously chanted, _"Bitchin',"_ due to Nat's influence. What could you say? It was a fun word to say and you were jazzed at doing something as mundane as driving.

Gripping the grab handle for her life, Jane contained, "I told him we were going out for supplies."

"He didn't get weird about us going out for stuff like this?" Liu seemed more practical minded if anything. Getting soap was fine and all but you could get bars at the grocery. In your head, he'd see no point.

"I didn't tell him what supplies we were getting." She chirped.

Playfully gasping and grinning, you drawled, "You clever fox."

"It wasn't _that_ hard, but I appreciate the compliment nonetheless." It was hard to say if that was genuine or sarcastic. "Go on."

You glanced at her and tilted your head, "Huh?" Had to admit, you liked the look of the felt trench coat she wore instead of her usual dress. Though it was black, couldn't deviate from her aesthetic too far. Big plus that all it's inner pockets were excellent shoplifting tools.

"Oh my god, slow down and look at the road!" The beauty cried.

There was no particular danger ahead. "We're fine."

"For now! You drive like a crazy person."

As far as driving went, you could do it okay enough. Nothing so bad as to be worthy of being yelled at. Then it hit you like an eight-teen wheeler, "I get it! You're a major backseat driver!"

She gasped, "I am not! Did you see that sign? Watch for deer."

"Case in point." 

"I-" _Huff, "_ Whatever."

Your cheeks pleasantly ached from smiling so wide. Bluntly, you told her, "It's cute when you get like that." 

"Cute?!" 

"Cute. It's just like," You stopped at the red sign and glanced at her, "You're loud and scary sometimes, and then other times you're all pompous but in a fun way! It's cute." 

_"Pompous?"_ Jane spat.

"I said in a fun way. Cute!"

"I'm going to take that as your weird way of flirting and not as an insult. You're welcome."

You were confused in a few ways, "I'm not flirting with you?" At least you thought so, "And also, I don't know this area could you turn on a GPS or something?"

Jane pulled her phone from one of her many pockets and said, "You don't _just_ call somebody cute."

"Me and Noah did it all the time. I don't see any problem with it, it's just a nice word to call people." But was it just that? You internally questioned, was it that platonic? If you weren't somewhat interested, then why would you wonder about these sorts of things so often?

_Gah. Thinking hard, head hurt. Ignore weird feelings, they'll totally go away._

"Hhmph." Cute.

GPS robotically guided you from road to road. Driving was familiarly hectic but tranquil in a way, even with Jane's nagging. Far better than Jack's yelling, that's for sure. About an hour later, you were sitting in the parking lot, mind off the corpses, and more on how you were going to go about stealing.

"Firstly," Jane grabbed a lukewarm water bottle from the cup holder, "Wash your face."

You grabbed it, squirting some into your palm before scrubbing the tiny bits of brown crust from your cheeks. Over time it'd slowly hardened, driving you absolutely fucking bonkers. Drying your face on your bomber sleeve, you brought up your shoes to inspect. Splattered with trace amounts of blood, it'd be mistaken for caked dirt and you didn't want to get water on Liu's car mats. 

"Are you gonna take that off?" You asked the woman, mask on as tightly as ever.

"No." 

Unbuckling yourself and taking the keys from the ignition, you asked, "But why? Aren't you a wanted criminal and that's like, the mask that people associate with that?"

Jane didn't reply for a long while, staring at her lap and wondering what to say to that. "I only do that when I _have_ to and I've _never_ left any witnesses." 

You shifted away from her. "Oh- Uhm."

Hand on your shoulder, she delivered firm advice from one experienced criminal to a total rookie. "Look (Y/n), you have to understand that sometimes you have to slit some throats to keep on living."

You hardly heard the words escape passed your chattering teeth, "How many?"

Gorey thoughts flooded into your head, necks spiriting dark red, head's nearly severed if it hadn't been for tough to cut vertebrae.

"Too many." Haunted. Tired. Not finished.

You didn't run out of the car and scream for help. Technically, you could, there were enough people around to help. But you didn't. Fundamentally fucked up and out for revenge like she was. You weren't all too afraid. In a way, you understood.

As chilling as that was, there was a more pressing issue on your mind. "People have seen you through. Remember when you chased me in the subway?"

"I- Er-" Suddenly the atmosphere in the car got a lot less tense. "It's fine. People will think I'm alternative and-"

Jane unbuckled herself and reached into the back seat. When she turned back around, she brought with her a hat. It was like a cross between a fedora and a sunhat, sitting in a plane of existence between being ugly and being cool as fuck.

Jane pulled it atop her head, tilting it's oversized rim forward before fixing her hair to obscure her face better. Goth Carmen Sandiego.

"I've got this." She finished contently. Cute.

You got the sudden urge to vomit in a good way. Butterflies were fluttering viciously against your stomach lining and you didn't know what to do about it. 

"Do I get a hat?" You avoided voicing that your missing persons case was _definitely_ ongoing.

"Of course, do you think I'm not ready for," Jane lifted her hat and whipped out a knit beanie from beneath, "Everything?"

Blink, blink. "Did you just- Where did- When- I didn't see- _MAGIC!?"_

She giggled into her palm, "It's called sleight of hand. And," A gloved hand reached out to you, initially empty before a pair of sunglasses slid out of her sleeve, "Don't forget these."

The sun was setting and you were going to be inside, you were going to look goofy as hell, (especially since they'd go over your glasses/especially since they were so big they'd awkwardly slide off your nose.)

You took the hat, and pulled it tight over your head, hair carefully concealed. Absolute wonderlust filled your ogling stare, her mystique was like no other. 

Jane turned off the GPS and opened up the notes app, "If you stopped staring and started brainstorming, we could get this shoplifting list done in no time."

Couldn't help that your eyes fell upon the prettiest sight for miles. 

"Shoplifting list." You echoed, warm cheeked and trying to play it off.

"Everyone need's their own thing of shower gel," Jane said whilst typing out the words, "New loofahs, pomegranate scrub."

"How about some more cosmic catastrophe for Jack?" The face mask name would never leave your brain, paired with the image of his cakey light gray face. Big guy deserved to exfoliate after that and maybe it'd make him be less of a total dick. Some appreciation from him would be appreciated.

"Good idea, not sure if they sell that here though."

"We can just grab the next best thing then." 

"Got it. What else? Oh! Can I get some moisturizer?" Was it completely necessary? No, but it'd be nice to have something of your own and super soft hands. Obnoxiously sweet scent a deterrent for Jack's temptation to chew on them.

"And cologne for Nat." Car door popped open and one heel already on the pavement she confidently declared, "Alright, I think we're ready to go."

Was it weird that you were _psyched_ to steal soap? Probably not, and it wasn't like you were murdering anybody.

You stuffed the keys into your pocket and followed, jogging to catch up to her confident strides. "Aren't you nervous that you look super obvious?"

"I look like an eccentric." Jane corrected, "And don't worry, neither of us will get caught."

You stalled your shoplifting questions once the store doors slid open. Jane lowered her head, walking with shoulders squared and hands at her sides. Employee's stared at her unusual outfit.

"It'll be fine." The whisper was so low that you had to move so close and in line with her that your hands were touching. "Let me do the talking." With that, she turned into a waist height mini isle and perused lipsticks and glosses. 

Talking?

"Can I help you?" Came a voice from behind that made you nearly screech. _Oh fuck, the jigs up!_ An employee stood behind you both, looking no older than sixteen and probably sent over to investigate by lazy, far more expired employees.

Uncharacteristically sunny, Jane chirped, "Not right now, my girlfriend and I are just browsing." Fully swinging around the face the mildly surprised girl, she continued, "Oh, and I love your shirt by the way, where'd you get it?"

Poor girl was doing her best not to rudely stare while also admiring Jane. You knew what that was like, how you palms would get sweaty under her impossibly piercing gaze. 

"Urban Outfitter's I think?" 

"Hm, I'll have to get one of my own." Far as you could tell, Jane wouldn't be caught dead wearing a plain t-shirt with a cat sticking out of it's breast pocket. What was she up to? "Thanks for checking in. We'll let you know if we need anything." 

Without waiting for a sputtered response, Jane whipped around and continued down the isle. You scrambled to catch up to her, whispering, "They're onto us."

"I know, but that didn't stop me." Subtly doing a once over of where the employees were, she felt confident enough to flip her fingers. Almost out of thin air, a tube of lipgloss slipped from behind her hand and into her palm.

Gawking stupidly, you asked, "When? How?"

"I'm just that good." Quickly and discreetly it was in one of her many pockets without being too conspicuous. 

As you both turned into an isle, you passed by loofahs hanging on waist sided hooks. Once Jane passed by, they were gone. You hadn't seen her grab them or even stuff them into her pockets. "Where'd you learn to do that?" 

She chuckled, "Practice."

"Yea but, why would you need to practice?"

"Being a mixed, gay, vagrant orphan doesn't pay well."

Right, _that._

"Anyway," Now's not the time to get all heavy and depressing, "Mind giving me a lesson?"

"What I do takes a lot of trial and error and finesse. You don't have that." Blunt, sort of rude, but it was in character and appreciated that she didn't bullshit you.

"Then teach me the basics." 

Abruptly, she stopped the both of you in front of an aisle. Hand on your back to gently guide you to turn your body completely toward the miscellaneous items. "Firstly take note, that girl earlier was sent as a deterrent for stealing. They've lowered their guard a bit more with us because they think we're intimidated."

Unsure of what the plan was, you fidgeted nervously with your sleeves. "We can just do whatever now and they won't be any wiser?" 

"There's a security camera behind us. Don't look at it. Our bodies are hiding what we're doing but if we walk away and there's something obviously out of place it's going to look suspicious."

The girl was busy helping another customer right now and her coworkers were setting up a Halloween themed display. Mid to late September was usually when spooky holiday hype really started to ramp up. Looking at the girl neatly putting out orange limited time bottles of body wash brought you a jealous sense of nostalgia. Back at your job, you and your coworkers were in charge of hanging up plastic bats and ghouls. These people were allowed to do much more. Plastic cackling witches that were half the size of a full grown man held out both green arms and stiffly wiggled their fingers. In a shallow black pan, green wrapping paper and all sorts of soaps. Festive.

What would you be doing this Halloween? Do these people even like the holiday or celebrate it? You just hoped if you asked for candy they'd give it, hell knows that you deserve a treat over another trick.

All clear.

You rose your hands and mumbled, "I'll take the front thing," A small purple tinted bottle whose label you didn't read, "And grab the same thingy from the back and put it in front so it looks like I didn't take anything." That you did but you didn't know where to put it. "Where do I-"

"In your bra, down your pants, in your shoes, sleeves, if you had an umbrella or a milkshake that'd work too." Glove held out to you, she confidently suggested, "Or let me hold it for you." 

You clutched the bottle protectively, "This is my steal and _a milkshake?_ Are you joking, like actually?" 

"Think about it, that's small enough to fit into a cup. Milkshakes are completely opaque and who's going to check it, hm?" She really was on another level with this stuff and you had to admit, that was kinda, totally cool.

"Isn't that gross to you or something?" You asked, sliding the bottle into your sleeve and promptly walking away from the scene.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Jane muttered, untyping a few items on the list, "I think I see some masks down there, let's go."

The two of you couldn't decide which was better for the man. _Fake It Till You Make It_ , a greenish, tea tree based mask that was supposed to be worn overnight or _Ego Trip,_ black, charcoal based mask that claimed to leave your skin glowing. Neither of you really knew what he'd like better. Jane took both, said something snarky about how both titles fit Jack. Big plus that he wouldn't be able to read them. It'd be your little secret.

Jane went off to grab her sugar scrub and Nat's cologne, leaving you to your devices. You prowled around for the perfect moisturizer. Times were hard and you weren't going to settle. You wanted it to smell so fucking good that you'd do a weird little moan every time you'd pop open the bottle. 

At long last you had it. Label promising to leave your skin smooth as a baby's and advertising that it's scent was long lasting. To boot it claimed to smell like just what you were looking for. All you could think about was getting back to the car, pulling it from the waistline of your pants, and using it for the first time. You had to physically restrain yourself from saying, _"Bitchin',"_ Or even worse _, "I'll eat your hands!"_

"Excuse me?"

_Oh God, oh fuck, it's a middle aged employee._

"Yes?" Straining a smile, you turned. Stomach doing horrible flips. Ridiculous how exposure to murderers brought a calm familiarity while some harmless guy made you want to crawl into a hole. But you wouldn't cave, you'd dealt with genuinely so much worse than a guy looking at you funny.

"Could you come to the back with me?"

_Okay, think._

"Sir, I have to leave. My son's soccer practice got out early."

He rose a brow, "Fine. Then come to the register and I'll check you out." Shit. Even if you did go with him you had no money.

"Aha, I don't have anything on me." Even you didn't sound convinced by that. "I've _really_ gotta go." You just started to walk passed him when he snatched your wrist. 

"Let go of me! I didn't do anything!" Trying to pull your arm free was no use. Theoretically, you could pull the knife on him but you didn't want to escalate things that violently. But if he didn't let go in the next thirty seconds you were afraid you'd have to kick him in the nuts and bolt. 

"Hey!" Jane's stern voice was like an angel's cry. "What's going on here?" She pushed her body between the two of you, pulling him off of you no problem. "Why are you grabbing at my girlfriend?"

The man noticeably recoiled from her. In heels Jane was half a foot taller, plus the mask and general _'don't fuck with me'_ aura added onto the intimidation tenfold. 

Since he wanted to keep his job, he argued, "I saw her put something in her pants."

Jane hissed and grabbed at your face, squishing your chin between her pointer and thumb, "Do you think someone who looks like _this_ could steal?"

Yes absolutely, you just did.

"I'm not trying to insinuate-"

She bent down, tipped hat touching the top of his head, "Then what are you saying?"

"That I saw her steal. Just," He sighed, "Have her lift up her shirt and you can go."

Playing along, you slapped your palm over your heart and gasped, _"Well, I never!"_

 _"The audacity!"_ Jane echoed.

"It's just standard procedure." 

This wasn't looking good, people were staring and it seemed obvious that you were the bad guys here. You needed to get out as soon as possible but at the same time you needed to get all the body washes still.

"To have somebody flash you?!" Jane shifted, slowly turning her body toward the doors. Same idea.

He perused his lips before loudly calling, "Security!"

"Let's go!" Jane took you by the hand and sprung into action. 

"Hey! Stop!" 

You didn't. Actually, you grinned and ran passed Jane with a silly, yet dick-ish, plan in mind. Jane sort of saved your ass but you were going to save her bacon if you pulled this off. 

Younger employee's minded their business, watching you sprint hand in hand with your strange partner. Phone's panning to follow along with the chase. The middle aged man and two security officers were scrambling after you, screaming uselessly for you to stop this instant.

"Grab those!" You yelled over your shoulder, just running around the Halloween display. 

Jane huffed, used to being the one in charge but she relented. All the while, you skidded to a stop and grabbed at two of the giggling witches, grunting in effort whilst throwing both cheap animatronics into the men's path. The first hit the poor leading man in the shin and he went down hard. One stopped to try and help him up. Number three was still coming.

Jane held a ridiculous amount of body washes in her arm. For the foreseeable future, you were all going to smell like pumpkin spice.

Terrifying strength allowed Jane to completely kick out one of the table's legs. Sending it and the rest of the display into his path. Amazingly enough, the security guy jumped over the table but his foot landed on one of the bottles. It's side exploded open under the pressure, making his one-legged journey to face-plant into the wall all the more faster.

**THUD.**

You saw him fall back in your peripherals as you escaped out the sliding doors. Mutually laughing at the absolute absurdity of it all and the thrill of getting away with burglary.

You felt like such a fuckhead, knowing how awful the cleanup was going to be, but it was their fault for chasing you.

Jane threw herself into the passenger seat, letting the bottles drop onto her lap. You scrambled to rip the car out of the parking lot, understanding that Liu probably wouldn't want anyone to have his plates reported. Bath and Body Works was left in the dust.

A few minutes later you pulled off the main road onto a semi-circle pitstop for sightseers. Beyond the guardrail was an overview of towns, mostly New Brunswick. Even from a distance you could recognize landmark buildings. You missed your old stomping grounds, it looked so pretty lit by the sunset, but you actively choose crime over it. You felt like you weren't allowed to yearn to ride it's loud subways or go to Starbucks where the baristas were always really nice to you. Made you feel all warm and fuzzy but Jane's giggling approval made you warmer.

"Did you see that!?" You exclaimed in a wheeze.

"I was there." She snarked, neatly tucking the bottles into her pockets.

"I know, but I just gotta yell dude!" Excitedly you shook the steering while, car going nowhere with it's gear shifted into park. "We got away with that!"

"Almost didn't because of you stealing right in front of him." Jane corrected, pulling the tube of lipgloss from her sleeve. Your shoulders slacked and you took off the sunglasses to give her a semi-faux look of sadness. _"But!_ I'll let it slide for your quick thinking."

"Thanks, I try to be smart sometimes." Just as you promised yourself, you pulled the moisturizer from your waistline and popped it open. "So what'd you get for Nat?" Immediately your stomach dropped. Their big blow out was you and that nick name. Internally you prepared for the worst.

Wrath didn't come. What did was her pulling out a square bottle from her breast pocket, "It's called Obsession but I think it's supposed to smell like jasmine."

"Weird name." You commented idly, rubbing a dollop of moisturizer into the back of your hand. Giving it a whiff, you made a weird groan and threw your head back, _"Nice."_

_Snap, snap._

You turned to Jane only to see her hands gloveless and held out to you. At first you wanted to be a little selfish and deny her but the woman was sharing her bed with you. Wouldn't hurt to spare a dime of moisturizer. 

"Trust me, it smells super good." That was further from your mind when you looked at her exposed skin. It sounded weird to admit but she had nice hands. Neatly manicured nails, dainty fingers, calloused palms. 

"I'll be the judge of that." You didn't know how to tell her that she looked goofy as hell holding her hands up to her mask's nose holes.

She made almost exactly the same sound you did except a lot subtler. Then she slipped her hat onto her lap, gentling fixing the fly-aways. If you thought she looked like an angel this morning, she was somehow more divine now. Framed by golden hour sun's rays. Was her hair as soft as it looked? Were her hands as warm and comfortable as they looked? Would she rub her thumb over your knuckles if you were holding hands or would she squeeze it with the beat of her heart?

"What'dya think?" You popped it shut before putting it in your jean pocket.

"It's nice." Upon feeling her own hands, it was obvious that Jane noticed how significantly softer they were. "Really nice. What was that little thing you grabbed earlier?" 

"You mean," The bottle jankily slid out of your sleeve in an awkward mirroring of her own parlor trick, "This bad boy?"

Between a scoff and laugh, she said, "Yea, what is it?"

Neither of you read it at the time, far as you knew it was useless. "Let's see. Huh. Massage oil?"

Jane coughed. "That's not massage oil."

"Yes it is?" You turned the label to her, "Says it right here."

"(Y/n), honey, that's lube. Do you know what lube is?"

You were going to give her the benefit of the doubt because she'd been so nice to you, that she wasn't trying to be condescending. "Of course I know what lube is, but it _doesn't_ say lube. It says lavender vanilla massage oil."

"It also says," Snickering, she tapped the label with a long nail, _"Sensual_ before that."

Upon double checking, you spotted the curved lettering. "I didn't see that. The lettering's super light!"

"Are you sure you're not trying to imply something, (Y/n)?" Jane teased as she gently loosening her mask strap.

You choked on empty air and garbled words. "I- Uh- No! I swear, I didn't see the label! I'm probably not gonna use it anyway."

She cocked her head, "Probably?" Thumb unscrewing the cap of the lip gloss.

"I mean- I can use it like perfume?" No, you were not. "Or! What if Rake gets stuck somewhere and needs lube to get out!" That was literally never going to happen and you were very obviously fumbling to cover up your embarrassment.

Chuckling, she tilted the very bottom of her mask up. Lips slightly puckered but distinctly smiling as she brought the gloss to her lower lip. Plump and soft pink. The mask's shape made it known that she had a broad face but actually seeing a small part of it was surprising. Reaching up from her neck, over her jawline and gently connected to her lips was red-ish skin mixed with the golden tan of her clear skin, raised and lowered in uneven patches. 

You couldn't tear your eyes away from her smile. Something about it made your chest tighten. Maybe it was how pretty the deep curve of her cupid's bow was or how the edges of her lips curled so sweetly. 

"I like your smile." 

The rest of the gloss was hastily applied and then it was gone. Mask strap already being tightened again. "Shows over." Her suddenly firm tone threw you for a complete loop.

"I wasn't trying to be rude or anything. I just think it's pretty." No response. "Are you okay?"

"You sound like Nat." Gloss was tucked out of sight, she faced you with that empty black smile. "She's sweet like you, kind of dumb too. You better not hurt her."

Who talked about their partner like that? Wait, was she being serious all of a sudden? "Huh?" 

_"Of course_ you haven't picked up on it yet. It's kind of cute." Voice sugary sweet but you didn't think she was complimenting you. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Oh, you know." She teased in the same tone she'd used only moments ago, but it was laced with something else now, almost angry, "The obvious. She talked to me about it. I'm only okay with it because I've gotten to know you." _Literally, what the fuck?_ "I wasn't for a while but I can't really stop her from being well- I'll let you figure that one out. I think you're alright and I give you my permission solely because you're on my good side." 

Earlier whimsical wonderings of what her hands would feel like were close to the real thing. Soft skin with a wickedly firm grip, except it wasn't being used on your hand but instead your chin, forcing you to look her dead in the mesh holes.

Black nails dug into your cheeks as she hissed, "But if you cross me, I'm going to make her end it _so fucking fast._ Remember that I'm in charge here. Not you, not Natalie, not Jack, _ME._ What I say _always_ goes. Be grateful."

You gawked in total disbelief. Maybe you should try to keep in mind that these people aren't just your companions but complete nutjobs too. "Uhm? What the hell are talking about and like, why are you being so weird? I thought we were having a good time?"

"Oh (Y/n). Cute, stupid, little (Y/n). Don't you get it?" She released your chin just to bring her palm to cradle your cheek, rubbing her thumb in teasingly affectionate circles. "We are."

"You're giving me a lot of mixed signals right now, so yeah, I don't." You huffily snapped and ripped your head away from her suddenly unfriendly-ish touch.

That only fueled her giggling, that didn't sound as bubbly and carefree as before, but at least she floated her hand away. You were more than confused, but upset too. Why would she suddenly change her tune like that? What did you do? Was the compliment what set her off or something else entirely? You didn't know how to read people to begin with, you didn't know where to even begin with Jane. 

Always wanting to get the final word, Jane directed, "Drive us home. _Now_."

As much as you wanted to be petty and not listen, going home was the fastest way to get out of the car and away from her. Provided that one of the others could watch after you like some sort of toddler. The rest of the ride home was spent tensely listening to the GPS's directions. Occasionally having to hear a comment about some mild traffic violation from your passenger. You tried to not let it get under your skin but it really did. You wanted to hit something.

**For legal reasons: We don't condone shoplifting and there's _not_ a bunch of shoplifting tips and advice online that's available for free.**


	33. 32 - About Time

Home at last.

Leaving Jane behind, you jogged into the mall's lower entrance. The ride home had been suffocating, even if she had you roll the windows down to idly weave her hand through warm night air.

Bursting the door open to the sound of clanging pots and windchimes was like hearing angels cry. Freedom. Except not really, because Jane was right behind you. Further adding to your long, long, day was Natalie leaning against a wall. Jacket tied around her waist, muscular arms shifting as she pushed her phone into her pocket with a smile.

Usually, it'd be completely normal to have her wave and say, "Hey, pretty ladies." But under the particularly strong moonlight, you could see a dark sheen running over both her hands up to her forearms. Face peppered with the stuff almost as delicately as her freckles. "How'd it go?"

"Good, good." Jane paused to fish something from one of her many pockets. "How's Jack doing?"

"Just dropped off dinner and a body to do his freaky mad scientist experiments on. He was super pissy about it being so late." Her sauntering approach only brought out more bloody details, black on her blue tinted skin, shiny with sweat. "Had to sacrifice time for a quality meal ya'know, lotta meat and a general vibe that he was a bad dude. My man loves to eat shitheads."

"Think he's in a good enough mood for another visit? We got him something."

"No, but it didn't stop me so it's _definitely_ not gonna stop you." Nat stopped in front of her girlfriend, crossing one leg over the other and leaning in close. "Get me anythin'?"

Jane held out the bottle, "I knew you'd smell by the time we got back, here."

You couldn't tell if she was giving her tough love or not. Honestly, from what she said in the car you came to the conclusion that Jane had the worst ego in the mall. Absolutely a feat compared to Jack. Thing was, you didn't know if it was your place to ego check her _again_ or if it'd even do anything. You'd have to sit on it, figure out what exactly to say or do because if you were gonna be living with her like this for months; you weren't going to deal with more bullshit than you'd already been dealt. 

Natalie excitedly took the thing into her hands, "For me?!"

"I just said that-"

"Aww babe, you shouldn't have!" 

Jane tapped her foot, "Are you just saying that because you saw it in a movie?"

This sucks. You just have to stand here like your mom ran into an old friend at the grocery, count floor tiles and maybe chime in when cued. With Jane around after your little chat, you weren't feeling very talkative.

"Maybe." Nat snickered, flicking off the protective cap and letting it fall to the floor without a care.

"Ah, ah, ah, don't use too much or you're going to smell _worse."_

Even from the distance you were at, you could smell the fresh blood. Not sure if anything could mask it or make it better than a shower.

Rolling her eye, Nat groaned, "Yes _mom."_ She then proceeded to spray herself one whole time. Wow, self restraint. "So? How good do I smell now? Doesn't it just make you wanna kiss me?"

Jane sidestepped out of Natalie's attempt to grab at her waist. "No one want's to kiss someone looking like that, Nat. Clean up and maybe later."

Her shoulders slacked, "Boooo."

It wasn't like you were blind but at Jane's mention, the fact that Natalie fucking murdered somebody and looked like it, finally set in. All you could do was stare and think _holy shit._

"Complain all you want, that's not going to change my mind. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make sure he's not eating his little science project." Phone flashlight illuminating the way, Jane set out. Then she paused, looked over her shoulder at you and huffed, "I hope you have as much sense as I do and don't let her whining convince you." 

You scratched the top of your head, "Of what?" 

"Oh my god." And then she was off.

"Was it something I said?" She ignored you. "Yeesh." Was a much more polite way of saying, _'What the actual fuck is your problem?'_

"Don't worry about her," Natalie cooed and stalked closer, "She gets like that sometimes."

Concerned more about her relationship than the drying blood, you furrowed your brows and advised, "Someone you're dating shouldn't be that mean to you."

"Please! That wasn't even that bad." Waved off with a jovial laugh. Concerning.

"You weren't in the car, she pretty much called you dumb."

Did that count as being a snitch? Was she gonna beat your ass if Nat brought it up?

Natalie's face fell for a split second before she cackled, "Uh-duuuh! I am dumb."

"Don't say that!" You argued, remaining muscle memory from many of Noah's self hate fueled breakdowns. "It's like super bad for your mental health and it's not true."

_Knock, knock, knock,_ knuckles wrapped on a head full of brain-meat but she said, "See? Empty. Got no brain."

"You're literally standing, breathing, and talking to me. You need a brain to tell your body to do that." 

_Bonk._ Mild pain followed her hitting the top of your head with her closed fist. Gentle with you when the person who's blood rubbed off on your (h/c) hair did not get the same treatment. "What was that for?"

"I'm just messin' with ya." 

Up close and personal she smelled like a funeral. Death and flowers. She looked alright actually, red looked nice on her, morbidly enough. Your eyes may have fell toward a particularly saturated blotch of blood on her muscle tank's low hanging neck line. Wait a second, those bumps, four in total. Did she and Jack have matching piercings? 

They lingered a little too low for a little too long. "What'cha lookin' at?"

_Fuck, fuck!_ "There's a spot on your shirt." You pointed out the very obvious stain.

Deviously smirking, she crossed strong arms beneath her chest and curiously tilted her head.

"Uh-huh, you sure that you don't like what you see?" Up and down, she took in every little detail her one eye could, not so subtly checking you out. "I like what I see so, I really don't mind."

Natalie wasn't going anywhere and her smile only got wider. You were scrambling around your head to try and come up with a response. She didn't make your skin crawl like some creepy old guy who you were alone with in a subway car. Quite the opposite, she made you feel pretty. No way she could mean it like that though. Nat was intensely loyal to Jane and wouldn't cheat on her like that. Came off as naturally flirtatious too, just horsing around, didn't mean anything by it. You're being weird and reading too far into things, cool it.

"I- Er- I do try to be pleasant to look at." You robotically replied, "You look pleasant too!" Smooth as cold butter. "How was your day?"

"I killed people, pretty fuckin' good." Casual, conversational, friendly. What were you supposed to say to that? You did walk right into the topic after all. 

Before you could voice any concerns, she plucked the knit cap from your scalp, "Yoink!"

Pulled over her head instantly, worn properly instead of completely covering her hair and ears. Faux hawk messily sticking out from beneath it's green edge. 

"Hey!" You pettily whined, fixing your (h/l) hair to fall back into it's natural place. No way you were going to fight her over a hat, especially looking like that.

"Sorry (Y/n)," She didn't even make an effort to sound apologetic, "I couldn't take lookin' at you anymore in this thing. You looked like the end of a condom."

"Thanks."

_Clang, clatter._

Liu strode through the door, ignoring the obnoxious pots and pans scraping together above the door.

Natalie groaned at the sight of him, "Shouldn't you be outside patrolling or something?"

Tense stiffness settled over the lot of you. "Saw my car was back, figured I'd come and get the keys."

"I got them!" Metal jingled as you fished it from your pocket, "Thanks for letting us borrow your ride." With any luck, idle conversation would distract the two from getting into a fist fight. 

He smiled and reached out to grab his keys, "Anytime. Did you guys get whatever you went out to steal?" 

You choked on empty air before sputtering, "Psssh! Steal? No! We bought groceries!"

One of those videos people had taken of you and Jane could have gone mildly viral. A hat and sunglasses weren't going to completely cut it as a disguise. Soon enough you'd be identified as the mystery shoplifter accompanying the big hat lady on CCTV footage. Anyone working on your case was probably confused out of their fucking mind. Wonder what the current public theory about your disappearance tied with Noah's brutal murder was.

Fingers gently brushed passed your own, "Jane isn't as subtle as she makes herself out to be. I let her think want she wanted. I really wanted you to go out, have a good time after all of this. I do wish it could have been me instead of that-"

"Watch your mouth." Natalie snarled before he could even finish.

Giving her the most terrifying death glare you'd ever seen, he continued, _"Woman._ I assure you, I'm _much_ better company." He sure didn't sound like a bag of fun. More like somebody who'd chase you down an alleyway. "Oh well," Liu brought his complete attention back to you, shoulders and gaze softening, "There's always next time. I'd really love to spend time with you outside of this, it's hard on both of us."

Nat scoffed, "All of us." 

Liu ignored her, "I'm curious, where did you go?"

"Soap store." If you clarified you were afraid he'd ask about what specificity you got, ask you to show off your stealing haul. You weren't exactly in the mood to explain why you had a bottle of lube on you, things were awkward enough between the two of you. 

"Hm." Completely unimpressed. "That's it?"

"Yep."

Liu twirled the end of his scarf around his pointer, back in the day he'd do the same with his hoodie strings. Some things never change.

"Make a list of places you would like to visit. When we have the time, we'll make a day of it, because you deserve to genuinely have a good time." Self assured in a way, but not wholly. He could sense the growing distance between you both. How you were choosing these freaks over him. 

At first, you wanted to politely reject, thinking that all that'd happen would be him uncomfortably hyping up Jeff and taking you down memory lane. Suddenly a simple epiphany dawned on you. "I'd like that."

After all your squirrely avoidance of him, the acceptance left Liu in a state of delighted shock, a soft smile on his usually stiff lips. "You better start on that list right away, because once we get the chance, we're going out." 

"I look forward to it." To get the plan to work you'd have to be ready for the long haul. However long that was in these uncertain times. A rocky start was expected, but if you could adjust to the trio's ideals _sort of_ , then maybe he could too.

Liu couldn't stop smiling, "Me too."

Not liking what was unfolding, Natalie butted in, "You got your shit, now get back to work."

Fingers curled into fists, curved lips flattened, "(Y/n), how about you come on watch with me. We could-"

Natalie slapped one of her filthy palms firmly onto your shoulder, "Not happenin''. Teaching this one the basics of knife fighting tonight. You wouldn't want (Y/n) to not be able to defend herself if anything happened, would you?"

You were going to _what?_

Open and shut, open and shut, Liu went over multiple different responses in his head before choosing, "That's _surprisingly_ intelligent of you."

Contradicting her earlier statement, Natalie boasted, "I'm a lot smarter than I act. Best remember that Bible Boy."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. Anyways, I'd rather get back to work than continue talking to the likes of you." Thank fuck he wasn't in a fussy mood, because there wasn't another bong in sight. Key's secured in his jacket pocket, Liu backed up into the door, unable to leave without hissing a threat, "If you hurt a single hair on her head-"

"It'll be fine! I know what I'm doing." She tensely defended. 

"You better." The door was swinging back into it's frame before you knew it. Scarf lazily blowing behind his retreating form in the evening breeze. 

"Finally." Mutual sighs of relief were released. "Ay," An elbow dug into your side, "What the fuck are you thinkin'? Hang out with him? He's just gonna talk about that crusty cunt the whole time.

"I think he really does want to be friends like old times." You rocked anxiously side to side, "He seems lonely too."

"No shit!" Natalie nastily barked, "All he does is chase after his brother. Never talks to us unless it's got to do with him."

"I know." Pawns, each and every one of you. "He has a problem."

"Again, no shit."

It was a long shot but you voiced the idea anyway, "What if I changed his mind?"

"You mean about-"

"Jeff?" That name, it burned in your mouth. What would it take for Liu to taste something other than nostalgic sweetness? "Yeah."

Natalie regarded you skeptically, "How do you plan to do that?"

"Same way that plans to try to get me to like Jeff. Spend time with him. Liu only thinks the way he does because he thinks that his brother and I are the only people he'd ever need. If we all just _tried_ to get along with him then we could change his mind the same way you did to me." You sounded so hopeful, happy about the prospect, but you were up against a clock and ten years worth of his emotional turmoil. Could you break down those walls? Find the reason in him and drag him over to the sorta good guy side?

"Are you _seriously_ asking me to be friends with that twink?" Critical and brash. To be expected when you were trying to talk about taking the high road with a murderer. 

"I guess I am." Pretty words and sayings wouldn't change the fact that the idea was unrealistic, overly hopeful, and banked on the four of you somewhat getting your shit together. 

Natalie stopped herself from belittling you more, swallowing back doubts and letting her scowl melt away. "You're really somethin', huh?"

"I'm just trying to get through this as smoothly as possible." Bring the past and present together, help other people, smile more through this terrible journey. More than half the time your chest was dully aching, throbbing with loss, but the times it wasn't; you were hanging out with one of them. The hard headed trio, annoying in their own rights. "I don't think it's that admirable." 

"Okay goody-two-shoes protagonist, go off."

Enough wistful hope for now, time to get lost in stupid and morbid banter. "I'll have you know I've stabbed a woman in the eye." Today had been so drawn out that this morning's news felt like it happened last week.

"That it?" Natalie challenged.

"I shoplifted today!"

"That's nothin'! I murdered two men today."

Suddenly you didn't think the conversation was so light and fun. 

Noticing your falling smile and silence, Natalie blabbed, "I win." 

Didn't feel right to keep up the joking. "Doesn't it bother you? Killing people?"

She was taken aback by the question but recovered with a shrug of her shoulders. "When I kill someone it was _meant_ to happen, there's nothing to feel bad about."

_Don't call her a nutcase. You won't call her a nutcase._ "What are you talking about?"

"People die all the time, tragic or not it was their time to go." From her jean pocket, she presented a single knife, sharp, serrated, and bloody. Nat looked at it lovingly. "I'm a part of the great consciousness that picks and chooses who lives and dies. If someone isn't strong or fast enough to get away from me then," Moonlight caught her eye just right, giving it the appearance of having a supernatural glow, _"Their time's up."_

"Holy shit." Was all you had to say to that. 

Two months ago your perception of the world had been grabbed by it's ankles, hung upside down, and shaken around for pocket money, but you'd yet to hear of a _'great consciousness'._ No one had ever regarded Natalie as anything but human. At most an almost a proxy but even those people were somewhat human. More than anything, Natalie came off as manic, delusional, and in need of all sorts of medication and therapy.

"You look scared." Blunt, gleeful, close enough to wet her blade. "Don't worry. It's not your time yet."

"I know." You've got till Jeff dies. "You gave me a knife literally to keep myself safe _so."_

"Sometimes I think about how if I wanted to kill you, I could." The knife was twisted side to side in her fingerless glove, admired. 

"Well yeah, you're good at what you do and I'm not exactly well versed in knife fighting."

"Right! I almost forgot." Instantly she was back to her friendly jock self. "Let's take to the- the-" Nat's face twisted in confusion, tongue running across her lower lip in thought, "Fuck, what's the word- le toit. Uhhh," Pointer held to the ceiling she continued, "Top of building thingy, you, translate."

You snorted, "The roof?" 

"The roof!" The grin that stretched the x's made it look like she was about to give you a wet kiss on the forehead, "Gonna teach you a thing or two up on the roof." She started bounding toward the doors.

"Why there?"

"Because I like it."

That's nice but, "It's dark out. Shouldn't we wait till morning?"

She kept the door open with her shoulder, chatting over it. "light enough out here! An' trust me, after a few minutes your eyes'll adjust just fine. Lived in the woods awhile, I'd know." 

"Uhhh, aren't there stairs in here and you're like, _not_ gonna shower?" 

"Nah, feels nice." Thick fingers beckoned you to follow from over her shoulder, "Get movin'. Wasted enough time not teaching you this stuff yet."

You jogged after her into the cloudless night. "Why haven't you?" 

Nat grabbed you by the hand, leading you to what you assumed was a ladder. "Couldn't trust you not to try to stab anybody." 

"Fair enough."

The pads of her fingers rubbed between your knuckles, "Sacré bleu, your skin's so soft. Like a baby's ass."

"It's the moisturizer." Glad someone noticed. 

As Nat said, she was just fine. Eye already adjusted to the dark while you hadn't noticed much change. While you waited and continued to be dragged, you asked, "Soooo, you lived in the woods awhile?"

"Already told you."

"Was it nice? Bad? Horrible?" You asked, nearly eating dirt but Nat's grip on your hand keep you steady and safe from tripping over unseen debris.

"Loved it, but it got lonely real quick. I know you probably think Jane's an asshole or something, but she's the reason I'm here. Cool not to be alone all the time." Something in her voice lingered on a more exhausted note, gracious, but never wanting to go back.

Jane was a weird person for you. Sweet and sour. You wanted to understand her, see other sides, but there was something about herself that she didn't want you to see. Natalie probably knew. "How'd you guys meet anyway?"

"She was tryin' to track Jeff, but turns out all the brutal stabbings were the work of yours truly!" And you were letting her lead you through the dark. Smart. "Came into the house I was killing this guy in and we got into a knife fight! I remember thinking to myself, ' _Natalie, the universe just sent you a lady with huge honkers and knife throwing skills. It's time to turn over a new leaf and get some ass._ ' But also I kinda hadn't talked to another person normally for a super long time so I was, kinda, absolutely, a huge dick to her and followed her around everywhere. Ya'know, normal couple stuff."

"Like how you were to me?" You asked, stopping in front of a tall vine covered wall.

"Exactly! Now though, you both have the same sort of effect on me. Not just anybody can make time feel all slow 'n shit." Her hand slid from yours to wipe itself off on her pants. You hastily rubbed your sticky palm on the wall. Gross.

"I didn't know that you-" Then you looked up and lost your train of thought. There was no service ladder. "How are we- _WHOA!"_

Without warning, Natalie kicked your knees out from under you. The ground never met your back. What did, was her bicep, followed by her forearm wrapping itself under your thigh. Half-cradling you while leaving one arm free for action.

You unsteadily tipped in her arm as she threw herself at the wall. "Like this!" 

Shrieking, you grabbed onto her shoulders for dear life. "What are you doing!?"

Nat snickered, dimples sinking into cheeks. "Isn't it obvious?" Feet finding hold after hold without a problem. Left arm working tirelessly to find the next bunch of vines to pull you both up on.

_"It's obvious that we're both gonna die!"_

Woman or spider money, that was the question, because she was already half way up the building. "We're fine, I've got plenty experience climbing trees and into people's windows."

"I know you're trying to comfort me but it's _not_ helping." 

"Jeez, I'll put you down then."

Muscles slid quickly out from under you and gravity got to work. _"NO!"_

Your feet hit solid ground.

_Snort_ , "Dude, we're already on the roof."

A quick look around was all it took to confirm. The two of you were standing on flat concrete, in the not so far distance was the curved window panes that sat above the corridors and food court. A couple of yards away sat a thick layer of dirt. Atop it, were all sorts of plants in uneven rows. Cranberry bush, developing pumpkins, and a bunch of shit you didn't recognize. Jack's renowned rooftop garden.

How the fuck did that get up here? Did he carry all that dirt up by himself? Where'd he get the seeds? Don't bushes take years to develop and bear fruit? Just how long had Jack been here?

"Uh- I- I knew that!" No, you didn't. Quick, change the subject! "You really are uh- good at climbing."

"Thanks. Been doin' since I was a kid," Natalie hummed, stretching arms above her head, "Always liked getting up high." She leaned back and looked over the roof's shallow rim, "People can't hurt you when they can't get to you."

Well, that was concerning. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah!" Nat pointed toward a crusty vent grate parallel from herself. "Alright, you go over there and- Wait do you have your knife?"

You flicked the thing out of your pocket, blade springing out of it's handle. "Won't go anywhere without it."

Dreamily sighing, she clutched her chest and cooed, "Woman after my own heart."

"I don't want to die, so yeah." You mumbled while following her directions. From over here it was hard to make out more than her general outline. This is what Jack's meal probably experienced, the idea of a person and the sound of a clock.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

Hopping foot to foot, Natalie excitedly announced, " _'_ Kay, I'm gonna run at you and you're gonna try to stab me!"

"What!?"

"Don't worry about it, we got Jack."

"I'm not going to- _AAH!"_

Full speed ahead, Nat was almost on top of you in seconds. Panic and adrenaline spiked, instead of scampering away like in the subway, you attempted to follow orders. Tactlessly jamming the blade directly in front of you toward her center mass.

Fingers wrapped around your wrist and before you knew it, your dominant arm was painfully twisted behind your back. Hold on the knife tight even while your muscles begged for you to release. Despite your non-dominant arm being free, you had not a goddamn clue what to do with it. Every attempt to twist back and elbow her only hurt your shoulders.

Yanked back, her chest pressed into you, breath hot against your neck. Throat subtly vibrating against your shoulder with her teasing whisper, "Are you even trying?"

"You caught me off guard, that's all." You grunted, trying over and over to wiggle away but nothing worked.

"Oh man, you really don't know what you're doin'." Natalie marveled, "Hey, at least you didn't drop the knife!"

"Can you let me go or tell me how to get you off already?"

"Right!" Sounded like she completely forgot what the plan was, lost so easily in the act of holding another person. "If I wanted to," She lifted your straining forearm up, causing your shoulder to agonizingly tighten, "I could break your arm right now."

"You made your point, put it down!"

"Then yer not gonna learn anything! I'll give you a hint though, grab your hand and push it down." 

"That's more than a hint but okay." You did just as she said, relieving some of the pain but not freeing you.

"Good! It's harder for me to break it. Now," Satisfied but she didn't let up, "Stomp on my foot."

The heel of your sneaker pounded onto the toes of her boot. Natalie jerked against you, grip loosened and positioning differently. 

For demonstration's sake, she stayed still and encouraged, leaning in an exaggerated position, "Elbow my head!"

Twisting around uncomfortably, your elbow was finally able to connect with something that mattered, her temple. Arm free at last you turned to see her instantly recover from her stagger.

"Way to not hold back, but you shouldn't relax just yet." She threw herself at you once more. This time you tried to swing sidelong at her, get her while she slunk behind you. Too slow. 

Here you were, arm behind your back again. You inwardly sighed, "Can't you just show me how to use a knife? Jeff's not gonna do this, he's gonna just stab me over and over again. I know I'm gonna panic, I'm gonna forget this shit and it's not like I'm martial arts Jesus. I'm just gonna die when he-"

"It's alright! It's alright. I jumped the gun and I thought it'd be fun to mess with you." Jerk. You sent an elbow in the direction of her cheek. "Sorry that I freak you o- _Youch!"_

Again you whipped around, pointing the knife at her chest to emphasize the demand. You weren't going to actually hurt her if she didn't but she'd probably listen more to something like this, "Knife defense, now."

"Look who finally grew a pair."

"Look who's finally taking me seriously." _Zing! Got 'em._

"Got excited at the idea of more hands on training. I'm only human." Nat flicked both blades from her pockets, holding them outward from her chest, "Follow my lead."

"I don't have two knives." You said, adjusting your grip to be loose and casual like hers. Four fingers wrapped around the grip, thumb gently rested on the blade's back.

She made a face at you, "Let me be sexy, cool, and ambidextrous, okay? Who knows, seeing double might help." Show off.

"Whatever you say." You brought your blade back to your chest, didn't wanna get cut on accident by her instruction.

"Obedient, huh?" Nat snickered, "Anyways, what we got goin' on right now is a pretty common way of holding a knife. Simple shit. Personally, I prefer," Fingers flipped and suddenly the knives were facing down, blade extending outward like an odd extension of her forearms, "To hold 'em like this."

You understood how she was holding the knives but what you didn't get was, "How did you switch so fast? How do I know when to switch?"

"Practice." Suddenly they were facing back up, "This way is easy, lets you," Slowed down for your viewing, she slashed her right in a downward slant, "Get people at that sorta angle."

Mirroring the movement at empty air, you envisioned metal entering the skin of someone's shoulder, traveling through their bicep and out of them just below where their ribs ended. "Got it."

"As for switching it up; bring your index behind the handle to where your thumb is, other fingers stay where they are." You awkwardly followed along, "You can't really tell, but I'm pinching the handles with my pointer and middle. Turn your hand." The knife flopped downward, hanging between the two digits. The instructions worked, but now your other three fingers weren't holding anything. "All you gotta do is bring the others on the same side as ya pointer, thumb pinching' for stability, and boom, you're switched."

"Oh shit, I did it." You couldn't help but smile at the achievement. 

She smiled in approval but continued the lesson, "This hold's got a little less range on it, but it's a lot more fun to get bitches with." _Whoosh, whoosh!_ Blurs of metal crisscrossed from waist height to just above her shoulders. "Easier to get guts on the floor faster!"

"I'm not looking to gut anybody." You said, mimicking her movement to test it yourself.

Nat snorted, "Forgot that you're a murder virgin." 

More like the majority of the population. "I wouldn't call it that, but sure. How do you flip this back up?"

"Easy, just do the first thing but in reverse. Except!" She paused, knife hanging between her pointer and middle, "You flip it back up with these bad boys." 

Your flip was less smooth and more awkward, but it worked nonetheless. "Definitely gonna have to practice this a bunch." You could see why she liked messing with her knives so much, this is fun. 

"Don't worry if you're not a natural, took me forever to be good enough to do stuff like this." The showoff flicked her wrists back before releasing the knives to do little flips before landing safely back in her palms. "God knows that my first few kills weren't done with a lotta," Jazz hands, "Finesse."

Less finesse than quick disembowelment. The kind of messy brutality that bent knives at their base. Blood sprayed on ceilings, stereotypical red prints stuck onto door frames, and claw marks down hallways. 

Flipping your knife clumsily back and forth, careful as to not slice your fingers off, you voiced, "Remember, this is _just_ so I can defend myself." 

"Murder's fun and hot but alright (Y/n), have it your way." She made it sound like you were the weird one. In a way, you were because you being irritated about her bragging instead of being deeply, soul shakingly mortified. It was the disconnect. Not seeing the murder, not knowing any details. Made it hard to completely accept that human lives had been violently lost tonight.

"Pretend I'm Jeff for a sec." Left arm down, accompanied knife tucked away. Right arm raised, knife pointed down and ready to slash your throat open. "You're alone," Voice growing cold and stare getting icily oppressive, "You're scared, out of breath, cornered, and we're all dead and you're all that's left. What do you do?"

Shake and sweat. Try not to pass out at the thought. You couldn't rule it out as a possibility, so you mumbled, "Stab him in the chest?"

If Nat wasn't on your side, you'd be spurting blood. Blade gently pressing to the side of your throat in an instant, an ounce more of pressure and she'd break skin. "Do that and you're dead unless he goes soft on you again. Even then, you'd probably fucking die from blood loss."

Feeling the heat, you matched her stern intensity, "What do I do, Natalie?"

She reeled her arm back to it's original position, "He likes to go for the neck or the guts. If you don't croak from that, maybe choking on your own blood will get'cha when he cuts your face open. You gotta keep him from doing that."

Soon as the realization hit you, you couldn't keep it from flying off your tongue, "You only know this because you killed people together a lot, right? I'm sorry that you have to teach me this, I get what's it like and I know it sucks."

Lips sucked against her teeth, Natalie grumbled, "That was awhile ago. Forget about it, pay attention." Touchy in more ways than one, she grabbed your dominant arm and led your armed hand over to her forearm, "Firstly, you're gonna wanna jump out of the way, usually to the left because he's a rightie." You hopped to the side, dodging nothing, but building muscle memory. Blade guided over her upper inner forearm by her tender touch. "Best to try and get a slice in here while you're on the move. Good chance you'll cut his tendon 'n he'll drop Dahmer. But he's a resilient little bastard and you're new to this, so the first cut probs won't do the job."

Google searched gore flashed before your eyes as you gasped, _"Dahmer?"_

Personal details on Jeff made Nat's face and voice sour, "His knife. Been usin' the same one since _that_ night. Probably fucks himself with it, nasty ass."

You vaguely remembered the first time he showed you that knife, tactical and bought off of amazon with the use of a prepaid debit card. Back then he'd never gave it a name, but you were aware of his attachment to the thing. Always clipped to the inside of his jeans. Jeff told you it was for self defense if anyone broke in. He lived in a safe neighborhood.

It was kinda funny, though your laugh was humorless, "Makes sense, he named himself after the guy."

"Tch," There was that smile you liked so much, "Holy fuck, that kid's got issues."

"You're tellin' me."

 _"Anyways_ , _if_ you got that hit in, nice, if not then fine, at least you're momentarily outta swinin' range." You followed the mental scenario, positioning yourself and pretending silver was splattered red.

Switchblade led to gently tap and slide at the side of her upper arm, as Natalie continued, "When you're here, try 'n get the sonnovabitch in the triceps. Do it right and he won't be able to bend his elbow."

Not that you weren't paying attention, it was just that Nat had such nice muscles. Subtly shifting with every move of your knife along her skin, forearms peppered with dark hair, some crusted in blood who's scent you were starting to ignore. 

Wasn't until she was waving a hand in front of your face that you snapped out of your trance. "Ay, you still with me?"

"Yep! Was absorbing all this valuable information. What's next?" Oh fuck, oh shit, your nervous laughter was so giving it away. Under her playfully judgmental shit eating grin. 

" _Suuurrreee_ and you weren't just lookin' at me like you wanted to make out. Alright." Her hand slid behind yours, guiding it down as you sputtered.

"I- Uh-" Hard to refuse something that's vaguely true. Wait, _huh?_

"Pay attention." She chuckled and your chest clenched in a good way. The knife's edge was brought right above her knee, pressing lightly into her skin exposed by wear and tear rips. "This is yer finisher, cut across. You do it right and he'll be immobilized. Usually at this point, I'd go for the kill, but for someone like you and a target like him," Stern, serious and scarred, she told you as the minute hand of her clock signaled the unrelenting passing of time, _"Run."_

Dread, fear, every other bad emotion was welling up inside of you. Jeff had an entire decade of experience on you. Try as you might to train all night or for weeks and weeks, he was _always_ going to be better than you. He was going to win a knife fight, no doubt about it.

Anxieties clawed at the inside of your skull until they came bursting out of your mouth, "Gets to that, then I'm good as dead Natalie. What's the point of this? There's no fucking way I'm gonna get in a hit!"

Rare genuine sympathy crossed her features, "Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard _._ I'd rather you know how to defend yourself than to go out not swingin'."

Everything was so tense, your muscles, everyone's mood most of the time. Jane's shut down really didn't help your confidence either. You wanted to hit something. You wanted to live. You didn't want to die, but if you were going to, it'd be bearing teeth Jeff didn't think you had.

"Okay. Now, show me what to do when he goes for the guts."

A smile stretched her stitches, "That's the spirit. Keep following my lead and you'll be a tendon slicing pro in no time!"

And you did. Over and over and over again. Nat had you roll up your sleeves to show you on your own skin where to cut. Cold steel chipped off bits of dried blood in neat lines but not once did she re-wet her knife in your flesh. Now you knew why Jane was so prepared and fit to fight the bastard, she had Natalie as her coach.

As eager as you were to not die, exhaustion was starting to set in. Mostly mental, from hearing about Nina's death, to seeing her body, the cultist break in and murder, shopping with Jane, then being badgered by Jane, all in the span of eleven hours. 

"You gotta slash!" Natalie exclaimed, ripping her blade through nothing, "Most people don't get how hard it is to stab someone full on and pull the knife out."

"Yeah." Attention on combat waning. Cryptid thoughts emerging. You couldn't rip your thoughts off them for too long and since you were getting bored, they were here to save your serotonin deprived brain. How cool would it be to hear the cry of a werewolf right now? Nah, those were too basic and it's not even a full moon. Close, but no cigar. Then it hit you, "I've always wanted to see a lizard man."

Ceasing her slashing, Natalie looked at you like you'd grown two heads, "What?"

"A lizard man. They're this huge subspecies of cryptid that's kinda an umbrella term for any lizard-like humanoid creature. Actually, In New Jersey," Shaking hands pointed to the floor, concrete settled down in the garden state itself, "We do have our own lizard man. Gator Man but there's no evidence of it but that doesn't matter! What does is, should we class winged lizard men as dragons or just scaly guys with wings. I- _WHOA!"_

Your feet were swept off the ground, back on a collision course for the floor. Again it didn't come, back and knee's supported by Natalie's strong arms. You clutched her board shoulders for support. Loosely holding your knife in two fingers, pointed away from her smug face.

Tap, tap, sharp metal poked gently at the side of your neck.

"Hey nerd, never let your guard down." Your first thought was how impressive it was for her to still have her hold on the thing, wrist bending awkwardly just to make a point. 

With quirked brows you said, "You were talking, didn't say I should be ready for an attack or anything." 

"Ambushes can happen at any time." Even though she sounded like a middle aged father figure in a zombie movie who was gonna die thirty minutes in, Natalie was annoyingly right. 

But not completely. "I know, but I've got y'all to rely on to fill in the gaps when I've got cheese brain. Also, why would anyone do this to me in a fight? Doesn't seem practical." Hovering your feet off the ground in a tender dip was the complete opposite of violent to you. Was this some sort of secret technique or what?

Back again was her smirk laid under a half-lidded gaze, "They would if they were into you and knife play." 

What a weird thing to consider in combat.

"Uhh, okay? So Jeff?" Shiver, shudder, acknowledging what was obvious made you want to wretch. 

"Bingo, baby! Almost."

The good thing about being held like this was seeing her up close, feeling her comfortable heat around you. A sweet, playful, serial killer covered in dried blood. Someone who'd done something pretty shitty to you, some things that you'd never really forgive, but life wasn't that black and white. Natalie was good to people she cared about, to be in her inner circle was one of the most welcoming experiences you'd ever had. Wasn't like she demanded you to be her friend either, you could have kept up your walls, called her a dumb cunt at every turn, or plain refuse to talk to her outside of what was necessary, but you didn't. You willingly let the devil in, leaving the door wide open for the others.

Tunnel vision focusing on her moving lips, you mumbled, "Almost?"

"You think he's the only one." Her body wasn't the only thing that was warm, so were your cheeks.

_Cool it. Blood's rushing to your head! You can't possibly have a puppy crush like this. Natalie doesn't mean it like that._

"He is. Can you put me down?" You had to get your thinking straight, which would be hard with someone like her in your presence. You'd fix it, you'd shake this little phase off.

You couldn't tear away from her frown even as she pulled you both back up to stand. Bodies hovering close, deeply embedded in one another's personal space. Neither of your could completely disengage. Your hands draped loosely on her shoulders and one of hers lingering on your hip. The other pocketed her knife.

The entire time to keep up the illusion of eye contact, you'd been looking into her clock. Who could blame you, looking into someone's eye when there was a brain behind them, judging your every little move? Sounded weird, but you were glad that there were only three working eyes amongst the trio and Jane kept her two covered up.

At seven thirty-seven, Natalie asked, "(Y/n), what do you think of me?"

You'd told her this before. "I think you're evil."

Her grip on your hip started to slide away, "Is that it?"

"No." You took one step closer, toes your sneakers pressed into her boots, "That's a fact." Skin and clothes were spotted with various bits of dried blood from her touch. Horrible, evil, life stealer. "But you're not the worst person in the world. You're trying to stop that person actually," Ramble, ramble, you're dodging the question, "Like, you don't just think about murder and hurting people. Before I kinda thought that's all people like you did." You sound fucking insane, genuinely, at least you're self aware. "You're like a regular person! You're funny and you got a nice hobby," That isn't murder. "And you're nice to be around."

Through the rollercoaster that was you trying to articulate your emotions, Natalie's face shifted through a handful of different expressions. Confusion, mild disappointment, endearment, smug satisfaction. Her hand slid back in place, fingers gently digging into your skin.

"Wow, (Y/n)," Closer and closer her face came, voice low and husky, "Why don't you just say that you're madly in love with me already?"

Reading people wasn't your shit, but through observation of situations like this on TV, you'd come to a conclusion that you had to confirm.

"Are you flirting with me? Because like, you're really touchy, and Jane said something kinda vague about you and me and her and being together."

"Took ya long enough." 

Oh. _OH!_

No way. No fucking way were you going to compete with Jane. That woman would have your head on a pike if Nat cheated on her with you. "You have a girlfriend. I'm not gonna get in the-"

Serious and a little surprised, Nat said, "We talked about it. I dunno what she said to you exactly, but Jane knows I'm polyamorous and she's alright with it, _more than_ alright with it."

You didn't think she was lying. Nat was a lot of awful, horrible things, but she wasn't a liar. She was fun with a high energy you couldn't help but revel in, attractive, attentive to your needs, more emotionally intelligent than everybody else in this cesspool. 

"Do you like me?" (S/c) palm gently dragging itself along her shoulder and to the side of her neck, fingers trying to suggest that she should bring her head closer. 

"I'm crazy about you."

"You're already crazy." You deadpanned.

Snickering, Nat paused an inch away from your face, eye focused on your soft smile, "I'm all sorts of bonkers, but I'm super into you (Y/n). Would it be so bad if we got to be close like this more often?"

Wouldn't be. You didn't forgive her for shit and she was dangerous and delusional but she was solace, comfort in such an awful place. Carpe diem, you're gonna die soon anyway, so why the fuck not? This could be casual or beautiful, only time would tell. 

"I'd like that, Nat." You melted into her touch, other palm resting on your waist. "Are we like, going out now?"

The suggestion brought her close, the closest she'd ever been, red skin around her clock apparent, green eye almost shining as she looked at you. "We haven't even kissed yet. Try before you buy."

Test the waters, smart. Eagerly you rocked on your heels, "So why don't we?" Holy shit, that was smoother than your moisturized hands. Probably not, but it made Natalie blush.

Leaning in with a smile, she mumbled, "About time."

Eyes fell closed followed by a light pressure, pleasant and tender upon your lips. One another held so gently, you just kinda sat there. First kisses were never the most glamorous perfect thing in the world but from what you could gather; you liked this, you liked her, you were happy.

Couldn't stand there like that forever, so you pulled back. Natalie's cheeks were cutely rosy, brows raised in expectation, "So?"

_More now!_ Your monkey brain demanded but you didn't want to come on too strong too fast, "I think that I like you."

In a cross between surprised and utter infatuation, Natalie murmured, "You do?"

For someone who was a shameless flirt, receiving affection seemed to really fluster her. Cute. "Yeah."

Without missing a beat she asked bluntly, "Hey, do you wanna make out?"

You were hardly shocked, this was Natalie after all. It'd been a while since you'd had the chance to go at it with someone and it seemed like a good test drive to you. Also, you were immensely attracted to her so why the fuck not?

"Sure!"

Wearing a dumb devilish grin, Natalie lowly commanded you to, "Come here."

And that you did. Like before your lips pressed together for only a moment before hardly pulling apart in a soft peck. One, two, three, pecks later you could feel her part her lips. You followed her lead, head swimming with dopamine and craving more. Her mouth opened just a little more before Nat decided to flick her tongue across your bottom lip. Open, lick, close, peck, repeat. 

Finally having enough of her teasing, you went to do it back. Great minds think alike, your tongues mutually grazed the other's tip. That felt really fucking nice. Nat seemed to think the same, leading you both to _really_ open up. All so she could experimentally twist her tongue around the edge of yours.

Gasping, you dug your fingers into her, pressing your body harder into Natalie's. A strong and sudden desperation filling you to get impossibly closer, kiss even harder. When you returned the motion, swiping your tongue across hers, she throatily chuckled much to your pleasure.

You pulled apart to breathe for a second then you started to really go at it. She sucked and nipped at your bottom lip until you very willingly let her in. A quiet moan escaped from you as you ground your tongues together. Another was easily pulled when she cockily snickered at your neediness. Delightfully harder she gripped your hips, entire body aware of every little place where you collided. As if your fingers had a mind of their own, they traveled up the back of her head and twisted into her short hair. Natalie growled into you, teeth gently closing on your bottom lip and pleasurably pulling. Cause and effect.

Absolutely entranced with the way your stomach churned and skin tingled, you let your other hand wander into her hair. A little experimentation never hurt anybody. 

You always thought the stitches in her cheeks ran to the inside of her mouth, but to actually confirm when sloppily tongue wrestling the enthusiastic butch was a wild experience. Something else that was notable was her inability to completely open her mouth, the stitches tightly pulled on her muscles whenever she tried. When professionals did extreme bodymods they tried to avoid that sort of thing, but whoever did Natalie's wasn't fully aware of where they were piercing. 

Ten minutes later you felt like you were about to melt into a puddle. Natalie hadn't stepped over any boundaries, this was something new and fragile, but she clearly needed a bit to chill out.

Cocky as ever, Nat put you on the spot as you pulled apart. "So, did ya like it or did ya love it?"

Oh fuck, you really just did that. Flustered beyond belief you jabbered, "I'd really love to do that again sometime _very_ soon."

You could tell that filled her with immense pride, because she actually puffed out her chest. Following up by saying, "We will but remember what we first came up here for."

"Oh-uh- Yep! I remember." Training completely blew your mind. You were surprised you hadn't accidentally cut her with your knife so close. 

Unfortunately, to teach you she had to remove her hands from your hips and you had to do the same with her hair.

She positioned herself a few feet away, ready to pounce, "How about every time you get a hit, I'll reward you, yea?"

You brandished your blade, "Sounds like a plan."

Against the agile and experienced murderess, you were able to get in a _suspicious_ number of hits.

**\----**

_Jeff refused to call it a slumber party. He thought that was only for eight year old girls. Instead this was an all night hang out sesh, his words not yours._

_The night was still young, only eleven-eleven o'clock. Plans were to sneak into the kitchen, eat as many unhealthy snacks as possible, draw on Liu's sleeping face, and watch an rated R horror movie, in no particular order._

_For now though, you were squished together in his bed, tiny phone screen hovering above your heads. Enamored by the Youtube rabbithole that was 'How To Kiss' videos. Being young, curious, and in the horrible ravages that was puberty, you both had an urge to know every little thing there was about making out._

_"I'm not getting anything from this," You dully piped up, "Are you?" Watching people go at it was far different from having the actual experience. Plus it wasn't like the women on screen could give you an x-ray on how their tongues were moving._

_Framed by soft blue light, Jeff turned his head to you, brown hairs tickling your cheeks. "Sort of, but I think it'd be better if we actually had someone to practice on."_

_You didn't notice the way his eyes were glued to your lips. "Yea! Too bad we don't got anybody."_

_"I mean-" He nervously tucked a lock of hair behind his ear, "You don't have to date someone to make out."_

_"True but I don't know who I'd pick to do it with." You glanced at the paused video. One girl looked like a hype-beast, ring on her thumb, hair in a tight hair bun, college hockey team logo on her fitted t-shirt. Pretty._

_"Okay but if you HAD to choose anyone in the world, who'd you do it with?" Jeff shifted closer._

_It was a real thinker. Every second that ticked by Jeff got weirdly closer as if he thought your silence meant something. When his face was hovering beside your own, you came up with your answer, "Her!" Unnamed Youtube lesbian who had no idea who you were and was way too old for you._

_The bottoms of his eyelids scrunched in revulsion. "Ew, she looks like a dumb slut! Would you seriously wanna do that with her!?"_

_"Shh, you're gonna wake up your parents."_

_He couldn't care less. "Answer the fucking question (Y/n)!"_

_Reeling in shock at his sudden anger, you stammered, "She's hot! I just-"_

_"You don't think that I'm-"_

_BANG, BANG, BANG!_

_Jeff's bedroom door violently rattled under the force of his father's fist. "Shut the hell up! Some of us are trying to fucking sleep!"_

_Matt didn't wait for reply before stomping back to his bedroom._

_Looking like he'd been sucker punched, Jeff jerked himself away from you. Phone taken with him and light cutting out. Left in darkness and suddenly without the pressure of him at your side._

_"Jeff?" You mutely whispered, sliding a hand toward him, "Are you okay?"_

_Touch, fingers down his back, gentle and caring. He allowed himself to melt into you._

_At his continued silence, you stoked his back and gently asked, "Was it something I said?"_

_Static electricity cracked from your fingertip and his wool hoodie. Back arching away from you like it was far more painful than a little shock. "It's nothing."_

_You scooted closer, "You can tell me anything."_

_"I'm tired." Jeff snatched the covers and threw them over himself. Wrapped up, protected from your heartfelt concern, warm in a prison of his own making, leaving you with nothing._

_"You usually go to bed at three." You grabbed at the covers, gently tugging to get to him. "What's wrong?"_

_One layer peeled away, a bunch more to go. "I want to- I-"_

_"It's okay."_

_The boy audibly turned toward you, coming out with it, "(Y/n), I like you."_

_"Aww Jeff, I like you too."_

_"You do!?" Jeff had never sounded so happy._

_"SHUT UP!" Matt roared down the hall._

_Quiet giggles were shared between the two of you._

_Hardly audible, you whispered, "Course I do, you're my best friend."_

_Fwump._

_Blankets twisted tight around his little body, protecting him from your poisonous platonic kindness. "Yer phucking thupid."_

_You couldn't make out what he said from beneath the layers of insulation, "Huh?"_

_Jeff stuck his head out of the soft cocoon just to spit, "I'm tired, it's late. I'm going to bed. You should too."_

_"But I'm not tired."_

_"Go to sleep."_

_Jeff disappeared into the blankets after that. Not to say another word for the rest of the night. He really must have been tired from that cold he seemed to have, sniveling until you fell into an unsatisfied slumber, you'd have to draw on Liu's face next time._

**Remember that knives are not toys. Knives may _seem_ like a glamourous tool for self defense but they are a very tricky legal slope. We recommend using pepper spray instead <3**


	34. 33 - It's All A Blur

**Use of the F and D slur.**

After a long, long day, you were more than ready to hit the hay. Absolutely exhausted from drill after drill and breathless from smooch after smooch.

Too bad you had to sleep in the same bed as the girlfriend of the girl you just made out with. It wasn't like she didn't know, but walking into Hot Topic escorted by Natalie, looking a bit disheveled filled you with an odd guilt. Worst part was, Jane was still awake, sitting on her laptop typing away.

You bid Nat good night, laid down, and tried to sleep. Jane and you said nothing to one another but there was a definite tension between you two, one you couldn't describe. Took forever to fall asleep.

Jane shook you awake, said she was hungry and didn't want to wait for you anymore. You trailed behind her to the food court, mouth in a deep set cringe.

If being around Jane was upsetting, then being around her and Liu was your worst fucking nightmare. Stiffly you sat yourself at the most intact table, beside the one bear head girl got thrown on. Smile straining as you took an untoasted bagel and miscellaneous fruits into your hands. Natalie had already eaten, evident by her trash she left for Liu to clean up. Jack was most likely still locked up in the deli, experimenting on Nina's body parts.

Jane sat a few seats away, hardly lifting the bottom of her mask to stuff the cold bagel into her mouth. No power, no heating, no toaster. You gave Liu a sheepish thanks while trying not to lose your shit. Nipping cold wasn't the only thing making you curl into yourself as much as possible because you realized something: _Liu couldn't know._ Natalie audaciously taking Jeff's rightful place in his mind would be worthy of a death sentence. 

Jane understood, holding her tongue about the whole thing. Mask perfectly hiding her emotions while you were left out to dry. Stakes were _way_ too high at the quiet breakfast and you were having a hard time trying to keep a poker face.

Sat right beside you was the very man that you were shitting yourself trying not to think about, green eyes grazing over you just a little too long.

"(Y/n), are you alright?" Liu asked between bites. 

"I'm fine!" Your voice cracked, he rose a brow almost immediately. "I'm great, ahahaha, really!"

Jane scoffed, "Of course you are."

Liu glared at her, intuitive and good at reading you like always, "Is there something I need to know?"

_"No."_ You said in unison.

Green irises shot from Jane to you, fingers idly picking at the bagel in his hand, "It's obvious that you're not telling me something."

_Lie!_ Lie like the one time you stole a shiny earring off his desk when you were eleven and said a bird came in his open window and stole it. But this time he'd have to believe you. 

"Okay, okay," You were sweating bullets under Jane's scrutinizing gaze, "I accidentally punched Jane last night and I feel really bad about it! I'm sorry, Jane."

"No, you're not." She played along a little too perfectly.

"Hmmm." A nervous laugh slipped between your teeth, he took it as good-natured, a smile quirking onto his stiff lips. "Alright." Liu snickered at Jane's fictional expense. "After this do you want to go out? Made a list yet?"

Hanging out completely slipped your mind for obvious reasons. Rock and a hard place, pick between being escorted around by Jane or try to lie all day at Liu. 

Before you could say a thing, Jane got up, came around the table, and firmly put her hand on your shoulder. "We have something important to do today."

"We do?" Her mask tilted your way and you felt a cold spike of domestic terror, _"I mean, yes, we do!"_

"And what is that?" He questioned, eyeing Jane nastily.

Solidarity didn't exist between the homosexuals despite their demeanors being scarily similar. Getting Liu on your side just might require a built bridge between the two, just the thought of it made you want to groan with frustration. But you wouldn't give up on him yet.

"I'm giving (Y/n) some of my clothes and I need her to try them on first." Right, that. Sounded nice before, but now being alone with her for another extended period of time, while conscious, made you want to implode.

Disappointed, but approving of a wider wardrobe to wear for Jeff, he nodded and told you, "Have a good time."

She dragged you away from the table while you scrambled to swallow your breakfast. You stiffly walked beside her, swallowing your fear and genuinely stammering, "Sorry."

"Don't be, I told you it was fine." 

Normally Jane would tell you good morning and have something to update you on, but she didn't. On top of that, she kept staring _silently!_ Jane loved to assert her leaderly dominance all the time, mostly incessantly running her mouth. It was unnatural for her to be so quiet and flat around you.

"You seem like you're upset with me." 

"I'm not." She sharply insisted. 

You followed her into Hot Topic with nervously fidgeting fingers. Was she doing that thing where you say one thing and mean the other? Was she being straight with you?

She lead you into the back, towards a short hall of changing rooms. There were only two stalls, doors stolen off their hinges. Why would anyone steal those? 

You were directed to stand in the one without mirror shards all over the floor. All the clothes she didn't wear for one reason or another were already hanging in your stall. There were quite a few, from crocheted sweaters to jackets with hand sewn seams of contrasting colors. Looked fine as far as you could tell but all the colors definitely turned her off wearing them.

"What are you waiting for?" She snapped after awhile.

"For you to leave?" You said, peeling off your bomber but nothing more, rubbing the pins now removed from their normal spot. 

Jane huffed and probably rolled her eyes, "I'm not here to check you out. I want to make sure you put them on right and that they look good. "

Made enough sense. She appeared to be very uninterested. Still, it was weird to take your shirt off in front of someone who's arms were crossed tensely and who's heeled foot was tapping on the ground impatiently. Especially when it felt like she would punch you in the face at any given moment. 

You held the garment in front of your chest, even if you were wearing a (bra/undershirt), you weren't completely comfortable. 

"Not that one." Jane asserted the second you reached for something randomly.

"But-"

"Try on this one first." A dress was shoved into your chest, colorful, but in a muted dull way. Weird too, a lot of odd shapes and incoherence, definitely an experiment.

"Okay?" You slapped your shirt onto the hook and went to put the dress on. 

"What are you doing? Take your pants off." She hissed.

"I can't wear this with jeans?"

It was like you'd kicked her in the chest. "Excuse me? That with denim? No. No. _No._ Absolutely not, take off your pants. I will not have you looking like _that_ when you're going out with my girlfriend."

You wondered if you'd be considered Natalie's girlfriend too. Neither of you had officially declared yourselves to be in a relationship after all of that. Supposed you were in that weird phase of dating, mutual attraction but poking around to see if things were gonna work.

Her acknowledgment was a weight off and on your chest at the same time. Since you weren't going commando, you relented by kicking off your shoes and awkwardly shimmied out of your pants, thinking of what to say. 

You couldn't. Jane spoke to break the tension that was her watching you worm into the dress, "I told you that I'm fine with you and Natalie. If I wasn't, I would have knocked you out for making out with my girlfriend." You felt fear course through you as she drummed her fingers on her strong biceps. "And _yes,_ Nat texted me about it."

Mouth gaping open like a dead fish, you babbled, "I uhh, Cool?" _Change the subject before your face gets too red!_ "But you yelled at me."

Holy fuck all these mishmashes fabrics were super weird to wear, your skin prickled at the mix of sensations. 

"I don't remember raising my voice." 

You popped your head through what you thought was the neck hole, writhing to try and find an escape for your arms. "You were super rude about it though."

"I wouldn't call it that." The comment came off as distant, she was too busy making judgments on how you looked. "Hm, take it off."

Brushed off. 

"Already?" Then you looked down at the fit you'd finally managed to properly wear. The dress wasn't bad per say, it just didn't look good. "Okay, yeah."

Off it came, plucked from your hands and thrown onto an empty hook. "I had a feeling it'd never look good on anybody but I couldn't help but try it on someone else."

"Revamp it?" You caught the next piece, plain but stretchy. "I think that'd be cool."

"Maybe. Put that on." Jane was still short with you, but with less of an edge to her tone.

Dress, after sweater, after skirt, after fuzzy pair of pants. You found quite a few things you liked amongst Jane's load of unworn clothes. Hello new pajamas, sweater with a bunch of cat faces that Jane denied having memory of making, stretchy pants, colorful cardigans, and dresses that fit _just_ right.

There were only a few articles to go. You were having an alright time, though it wasn't without it's awkward moments. With her mask on you couldn't make out where she was looking ever. Facial expressions were an easy way to get a general idea of what someone was feeling but you were constantly faced with that blank yet knowing smile. 

You started to pull on another dress. "I can never tell what you're thinking when you look at me." You mumbled, looking at her masked face behind you in the dirty mirror. 

"I don't want you to know." Jane dully replied, observing you carefully.

"Just me?" You questioned, fabric sliding over your eyes. "Do you really hate me that much?"

"What?" When you popped your head out of the neck hole you saw Jane with a surprised hand over her heart. "No? I don't hate you and trust me, I wouldn't wear this all the time to spite one person." Said the most vengeful woman you'd ever met.

"Then why do you act the way you do? Like, you've been weird with me all day and sometimes you treat all of us like we're stupid, like you can't trust us to do anything right." You pulled the dress down, fixing the wrinkles to avoid looking at her.

Shoulders slacked and a hollow sigh blew from her nose holes. "I'm an abrasive person (Y/n) and it doesn't help that you were friends with _him."_

This again. " _Were_ friends. Past tense."

"I'm not done. You're nice to be around, but sometimes when I look at you all I can see is someone who makes people happy." Aww. "Someone who makes Nat happy." _Aww!_ "But _him_ too." _Oh._

"We've been over this." You were disappointed that she still saw you as something of an accessory to her worst enemy. 

Exasperated in herself, she admitted, "I'm trying okay!?" Seeing your alarm, she took a step back and quietly mumbled, "Sorry. I know. You need to understand how hard this is for me because I don't hate you, but I should."

"Conflicted?"

"Yeah." 

You both were scorned, tired, and in need of a little sympathy. Solidarity. 

"I think I get where you're coming from." You stared slowly, peeling the dress off after a nod of approval from Jane. 

"You do?"

The dull (f/c) aviator with pale (f/c) fuzz caught your eye amidst the remaining clothes. "You guys literally kidnapped me." Jeans were picked up off the floor and jumped back into. "If I didn't like you I would have tried to stab you by now and run away again." Thrown over your shoulders the jacket rested perfectly, comfortable and warm.

Her laugh was like a reward, "How comforting."

Stupidly grinning, you insisted, "It's true!" 

_Zzwwip!_ Jacket zipped tight, you stuffed your hands in it's pockets. Lined with fuzz, they were heavenly to rub your fingertips on. 

"You like it?"

Heels rocking and fingers going bonkers, you happily chirped, "I love it!" 

Instead of getting pissy about your momentary lack of volume control, she giggled into her palm. "That's one of the prototypes for Nat's jacket. Fits you well."

"Thank you." Ease in conversation and kind words didn't erase her dodging that she thought you and the others were beneath her. "Do you trust us, me and Natalie?"

"What do you mean?"

Foot to foot, you swayed, building yourself up to ask, "Do you trust us not to be stupid?" 

_Sigh,_ "No, not really." The smile set on the edges of your lips fell, disapproval making your stomach sink. Why did you about her opinion so much?

"Natalie's over emotional and you're inexperienced." Jane added after a suspicious amount of time, trying to fix some of the damage she'd done.

It came off as wrong somehow. You couldn't put a description on how you felt about Jane. Left to right you swayed, trying to decode if that meant she thought were dumb like the public school system did. 

Before you could ask for the millionth time, Jane reminded you, "Look, I'm trying _really hard_ not to be an asshole. Being," she huffed, "nice is a new thing for me and I've only been doing it for a few months."

Your hell brain decided that this was your fault. Guilt dumped itself onto you like blood on Carrie White. "Sorry if I'm pestering you or being dumb. I'll shut up about, like, I'll be fine. I'm used to this, really, I'll be good."

Taken aback she sputtered, "Uh- _Huh?_ Don't be sorry. Who's ever treated like I do? _I'm terrible."_

 _"_ Didn't you go to high school?" You humorlessly chuckled.

Day by grueling day. Suffering through classes you didn't give a shit about, feeling like a useless freak whenever you didn't mask right, people staring at you like you were an animal at a zoo whenever you had an uncontrollable breakdown. Football boys coming up to you and pretending to confess their undying love to you as a joke, as if you were going to believe that. Absolute nightmare. 

"High school was fine for me." Back to the drawing board. 

There was one accurate parallel to how she treated you. Scarily similar. Black hair, a bad attitude, and awful at talking about their feelings. Both of them were kind to you sometimes, sweeter than sugar and honey. Other times, when they were angry, it was less than pleasant. One rotted into something awful the other was trying to grow. Two sides of the same coin.

"I've got it! You treat me like Jeff used to. At least you're not trying to kill me and haven't shown me anything dead yet so-"

Gloves groaned as her fists tightly balled.

**THUD.**

The room shuddered, a few articles fell off the hooks with the impact of her fist into drywall. Wrist disappearing into the newest hole in the wall.

Sharp words hissed out from the edges smiling porcelain, _"What the fuck did you just say to me?"_

Oops. Try and clarify, then she'll understand! "Well, you're both hot and cold and-"

Shaking with rage, the goth screamed, _"SHUT UP!"_

Lips sealed shut, hands instinctively went to your pocket for defense but you stopped yourself. 

Heel pounding earth-shakingly hard on the floor, she continued, _"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FUCKING INSULTING THAT IS!?"_

You fucked up, for real this time. "I'm sorry, I-"

Once you got Jane going, it was hard for her to stop.

 _"HE SET ME ON FIRE, (Y/N)!"_ Third degree burn scars spread through her shoulders, crawled from her thighs to her shins and so on. Subjected to an awful ordeal similar to Jeff's, except this time he did the lighting instead of a long dead bully. _"He set my little siblings on fire! I remember what they smelled like!"_ Sheer rancor melted into quaking terror, " _Dad tried to protect us, but he couldn't do shit without a head. Mom gave up. She just stood there and let him cut her face open. Threw her to the ground like a piece of trash and stomped, and stomped, and stomped."_

Reliving that night through words and memories alone made her knees shake. Jane pulled her fist from the wall, glove knuckles torn, exposed skin bloody.

"Hey, breathe!" You hastily imitated Noah. Jane took the advice, ragged hyperventilating and coming down from her sudden rambling. 

What the hell was that?

"Are you okay?" You shuffled toward her, reaching for her shoulder. Smacked away almost instantly. "Jane, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. How about we-"

Like a wounded animal, she backed up slow and hunched into herself, "Leave everything where it is. I'll put it with your stuff later."

"What are you talking about?" You followed her.

 _"Get away!"_ She viciously snapped before pausing and reconsidering, "I'm going to take you downstairs to Jack. I need to be alone."

You kept your lips sealed during the walk there. Afraid that whatever you said next would only set her off more. Preoccupying your guilty conscious with hastily tying your bomber around your waist, wouldn't be caught dead without it. Sorting your feelings out was once again proving difficult. Jane did obvious breathing exercises on the way, just like you did. As soon as you were at the deli, she turned tail and left. Walking off without so much as a goodbye. You watched her, wondering if you should say anything else, but you just couldn't.

Here you were again, pushing open the deli's back door only to be slapped with the wretched smell of a corpse. Nina's lungs, stomach, and all sorts of squishy bits were gone. Presumably in one of the many boxes made for organ donation. Rake was in the corner, gnawing on a femur like a cartoon dog. Jack was working away, mask off, gloves on, and humming without a care. 

Relief flooded you at the nightmareishly normal sight. Jack was calm now, content. Jane must have insisted he wore one of the facemasks because his skin was glowing. The goths acted like all they did was annoy one another, but Jane was with him for a long time trying to make sure that he'd be okay. Before she decided to be a better person, would she not have done that for him or let you borrow so many of her clothes?

"Morning." Jack greeted, bringing up his bloody glove in a curt wave. "Suppose Jane doesn't want to be responsible for you today again, hm?"

"I made her mad." You told him bluntly, pulling the the door shut.

"I see, you were just existing then." The comment went over your head because Jack was currently pulling out Nina's teeth. 

"Real valuable data in those?" You asked, trying to dehumanize her body into a study over a corpse.

"Not really but," Out came an incisor, pinched inside a tweezer before being dropped into a glass jar, "I like them." There were more teeth of varying size and color in the jar. A collection. Ew.

"Anyways, how are you feeling?"

"Fine." _Yank._ Molar. "Why?" 

"What do you mean why? I was _kinda_ worried about you."

"Sometimes shit happens (Y/n)." Jack darkly reminded, "I don't need your pity."

You looked down at the spots of dried blood that he missed in cleaning.

"Something sure did happen." The cultist's body was nowhere in sight. _Don't ask, you're not gonna wanna know._ "And you looked like you were going to cry."

"I literally can not cry." Jack tapped right below the inner corner of his eye, "My tear ducts are clogged." Black slapped hard onto the floor. Some of it had found it's way into Nina's looted chest cavity. Hardened little slabs of sludge.

"You're crying right now." Last you checked, leaking any substance from your eyes counted as crying. Water, blood, or whatever the fuck that black ooze was. Then it hit you. "Jack, you're like a Squonk." 

"Excuse me?" Jack rose a brow, "A what?" 

"Imagine a hairless pug that you left in water for too long and cries so much that hunters track it via a trail of tears." Rumored to be forever destined to be miserable, skin loose and covered in warts. A feeble wandering thing that lacks any company.

"That's the meanest thing anyone has ever said to me." He deadpanned.

Was it that rude if it was true? "But you both cry all the time!"

"I'm leaking. There's a _big_ difference." To emphasize what he meant, Jack stepped back from the body said, "Watch this." Then looked down at the floor. At this angle, the black leaked not onto his cheeks but instead directly onto the floor. Originating from somewhere deep in his sockets. 

Blink, blink. "What the fuck?" You approached curiously, "Does it ever stop?" 

"Been going for six years, I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon."

"Whoa." You swiped your hand under the slow stream, bringing your palm up to your face for observation. Vicious ooze slowly seeped between your fingers, warm, thick, and smelled of sulfur. "Where does this come from?"

"My body." Jack lifted his head after looking and leaking on the floor for a ridiculously Long time. "Remember how I'm not human."

"Oh yeah." Sometimes you forgot since he didn't act like the typical movie monster. Jack was just like a guy with a skin discoloration and gigantism. But then again, the motherfucker literally echolocated all the time, but that was normal. He's like a sassy roommate in a sitcom who's also a man-eating god.

_Crunch, crunch, munch, munch, shloorp!_

Rake ceased his teeth grinding and sucking when you looked at him. "Bwwaaa." 

You pointed, "Is that Nina's?"

Jack shrugged, "Don't have a lot of femurs in here, so probably."

Rake resumed his gnawing, eyes deadset on the empty corner of the room.

"What's he looking at?" Rake spacing out like this was a common occurrence, but you never knew what caught his attention.

Jack lightly stomped and hummed, "A ghost."

_"A ghost!?"_ Now that he mentioned it, you noticed how oddly chilly it was in here.

"I bet it's her." He chuckled.

You envisioned Nina but translucent and tinted blue, yelling and flailing her arms over her head, " _Hey! You stupid fucking dog put my leg down!_ " 

"Ghosts are real!" Serotonin boost alert. "I didn't even think about that! Gimme your phone, I wanna see if she'll show up on camera!" 

"I'm kidding. Rake stares at things sometimes for no reason." 

Disappointment filled your very soul, "Man."

Jack went back to work, you watched and asked a million questions, Rake kept staring at the wall. Business as usual until Rake dropped the bone, stood up on his hind legs, and made a sound you'd never heard from him. Something between a dog's vicious growl and a person wailing.

You stared confusedly, Rake almost never stood up to his full height of nearly seven and a half feet. Stranger than that, Jack hastily peeled off his gloves, looking concerned.

Before you could get out a word, Jack grabbed you by the shoulder and ushered quietly, "(Y/n), behind me now."

Obeying the command didn't answer quell and questions. "What's going on?"

"When he gets like this he can be very volatile." Rake looked at the hollow bone at his clawed feet. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Jack's hold grew firmer. Being so close to him in the cold was pleasant. Giant Radiator Man would _definitely_ be his cryptid name.

"Like this?" Jack's hold clamped down on your shoulder like a vice. "You're hurting me."

"Right." Jack let go, hand still hovering close to you hesitantly.

Rake took a step back from the bone, eyes wider than normal and breath audible.

"I thought he loved bones?" White fragments of the stuff could be found by your pillow almost every other morning when you were sleeping at Burger King. Some nights you'd wake up to the sound of slurping, like someone trying to suck up the last of a milkshake. 

"He does." 

Rake's pale face snapped in your direction, "Wwhhaaz?" Lanky body swaying like a thin tree in the wind as he staggered closer, "Hheppnen?" No lips and a bird-like tongue made his pronunciations incoherent. 

You wanted to be excited about this but all you could feel was a weighty dread. "Is he talking?"

Jack didn't back away from his friend, "He's trying to."

Rake's milky eyes landed on Nina's body. Gasp. Terror stiffened up his lanky body. Rake's face could hardly emote but you could infer that the way his jaw was constantly hanging open wasn't a good thing.

"Hey," Jack began, voice soft and docile, "It's alright. We're your friends, no one wants to hurt you." He stepped forward and you followed, peaking around his side.

"Haaareehameyee?" Rake vocalized, hands up in an unneeded defense.

"It's okay." You said unsure, "We're here." 

Rake's attention fell onto you. Muddied recognition sparked up in his eyes. Bony fingers reached out for you. In return, you raised your arm. Your fingertips slid over his middle finger, the whole thing was about half the width of your palm. Cold and dry on warm and smooth. What was going on was far above your head. All you knew was that there was a connection between the both of you that he saw. Something that wasn't the one you perceived but something else, something closer. 

Suddenly he ripped his claw away from you, skittering back.

"Did I do something wrong?" 

Rake found one of the many buckets on the floor beside Nina. He bunched up his fingers before vigorously dipping the tips into a mess of mushy gore. The entire time he kept trying to chatter but no sound he made was coherent in the slightest.

Jack led you both slowly closer to the humanoid. "I don't know."

You wanted to get a closer look, touch him again, and bring his consciousness back to the norm. Jack's arm came up to halt you. "Stop. I'm not taking any chances." 

_Skkerrrch, skkerrrch, skkerrrch. Schlorp, schlorp._

Like a child with finger paints, Rake messily laid out an image in chunky red. 

"I can't really make it out. (Y/n), what's he writing?" The technically blind man asked.

Four circles leading down into wobbly lines. "Balloons?" Rake shook his head, dipping his fingers again, and added onto the drawing; a square around the circles and lines. "Balloons in a box?" Again he shook his head. "Spoons in a drawer?" He added a triangle on top of the box and it clicked. "A house."

Rake chattered almost seeming to say, ' _Keep going.'_

Those balloons or spoons, it's, _"A family."_

Jack lowered himself to his friends hunched over form, put a hand tenderly on his bony shoulder. "Do you have a family?" Sympathy from the devil.

Rake nodded. Rushed letters were scrawled onto the floor by the withered and lost creature. ' _F innd he l , p.'._ You read it aloud. Already stiff air got stuffier.

You frowned, watching Rake tap at the shorter ones. "I think he had two kids and a spouse. Not sure though."

He added another figure outside of the house. Taller than the structure itself. You relayed the information to Jack.

Stuffier, like air before a thunderstorm. 

" **H** **im**." Head honcho and the big cheese, the man behind the curtain. Expectations and fear of the thing were only getting higher and more intense, even the doodle made you shiver. 

Jack rubbed his thumb along Rake's shoulder, "If he did have a family they're probably dead by now." 

"How would you know that? You don't know how old he is." Recalling the fact didn't make you feel any better. Could be that those were his parents and he was a kid. No matter the age or position, it was depressing.

"More often than not, **he** makes you kill your family." As if he read your curious mind, he continued, "I got lucky since mine moved back home to Korea before **he** got the chance to make me do anything."

Jeff sitting somber on that family's couch, telling you every little detail. He never wanted to mutilate Liu. The man clung to that, made Liu think that deep down Jeff had a conscience. 

Rake kept on desperately scribble and you kept on translating. Came down to him wanting to find his family but he couldn't provide any defining details. Jack said softly, "We can't help him." 

You sighed, "Nothing to go off of."

"Yes but also it's a bad idea." 

"No, it's not." Sounded like Jane had possessed you.

"What do you think is going to happen if we find them (Y/n)?" Jack hissed, straightening up to tower over you, "Are they just going to accept him when he's like _that?"_

Your mind and heart both said no, but you wanted to be optimistic, "Mayb-"

"Don't kid yourself. He's a _monster."_ A sharp toothed, raw flesh eating, five-year-old mind having, predator. "If they're still alive, Rake's family would rather bury him then find out that he's become _this."_ Made enough sense. 

Jack hadn't said anything amazingly profound, but you had the feeling that he wasn't just talking about Rake. 

The monster himself had become preoccupied by viciously scratching at his ear holes. Worried, Jack went to put another hand on Rake but he bared needle-like teeth and quickly swiped at his friend. Luckily, Jack was fast enough to not get his signature coat torn open again. Jane would have had his head.

Back arched like a cat, Rake snarled and swiped again. Reach too short to get to either of you, but the fact that he'd even be hostile towards either of you was upsetting.

Rake fumbled with the door while you hurriedly asked, "Should we stop him? Is he gonna be okay?"

"Sometimes it jogs his memory, makes him normal again. Walking's better than him staring at a wall and screaming." Jack followed the creature that shimmied through the cracked open door. "Usually I talk to him when he has long episodes like this." Rake staggered through the deli and clambered over the counter. Surroundings taken in like it was the first time he was ever seeing them. 

Rake looked like you did when you first explored the downstairs. Afraid and in search of an escape. He knew his real family wasn't in a place like this. "I don't understand." 

"I don't either. Best explanation I have is dementia." Jack theorized, powerwalk drastically slowed to match your pace. Spooking Rake by getting too close didn't seem like a good idea. 

Rake mumbled slurred syllables to himself. Balance unstable on two legs. He knew what talking and walking were but he couldn't fully grasp how to do them right nor would his inhuman body allow it.

"Monsters can have dementia. Never thought I'd say that. Why'dya think that?"

Rake unintentionally lead you both into Toys-R-Us, he stared at the deteriorated wallpaper.

"Ninety-eight percent of the time he's like a child. Can't communicate very well, basic problem solving skills, can't organize or plan anything." Jack spoke lowly, as if he didn't want Rake to hear the prognosis. "When he gets like this though, he wanders, he's confused, agitated, can't remember how to be normal but I feel like he knows he once was." 

You stared at Rake's body, pale, skin taught over his elongated bones. Every vertebrae shown in vivid detail. An echo of a human body. "Then this is whatever's left of the real him."

Jack curled his lips to his teeth and nodded. Had the same feeling of someone watching their blood relative deteriorate, keeping on a brave face and trying not to ugly sob. 

"When we met," He began, voice slightly quivering, "I could smell the stench of **his** influence on Rake."

Rake looked at the glass doors but he didn't understand what they were. Thin fingers grabbed at the stair rail and Rake started to make a worrying and slow ascent up them on two unsteady clawed feet. "Is he a proxy?" 

"Very likely he used to be but in the two years I've known him, he's never gotten a command or even had any others come after him." 

Sometimes you thought Rake looked like a really tall person but all the strength and body mass had been sucked out of them with a straw. Leaving the leathery shell of something like an empty Capri Sun. Use ran out, cast aside to the mercy of wind and cars. 

"You guys are the same then." 

"In a way." Holy shit, no snarky response. Either Jack was learning to hold his tongues or he was too distraught to be a cocky ass.

An awful thought wormed it's way between your brain folds, "Are you ever gonna end up like that?"

_"I'd rather die."_

Confusion, constant terror, no understanding of where you were or what everything was, not understanding yourself. Trapped in the mind as a muddied, fearful, abomination. Truthfully, it wasn't a shocking answer.

By some miracle, Rake didn't tumble down the stairs. He wandered around the toy store, picking things up and almost immediately forgetting about their existence. More than a few times he tried to talk to you or Jack, incoherent. 

Forty minutes later he finally found the way out of the store, rejoicing at the daylight flooding in through the roof. Jack pulled out his phone, commenting, "I need to go get him some rats. Hate to force feed him again but it's the only way to make this stop."

You couldn't blame Jack. Watching Rake teeter around and pathetically call out for people who weren't there was more than depressing. He's suffering, letting it go on any longer is cruel.

Jack pulled out his phone and spoke into the mic, "Siri, call _gouine."_

"Who?"

"Natalie." Jack replied, bringing the phone to his ear, "She wouldn't stop bothering me about it until I made that her contact name." 

After two long rings, she picked up. Nat loudly greeted him much to his chagrin. Now holding the phone about a foot away from his face, Jack began, "I need you to come inside. We're near- (Y/n) what does that sign say?"

"Claire's." Rake stared at the store in question, something about the faded pink floors had caught his attention for the longest time.

"We're near Claire's and Toys-R-Us. Need you to make sure (Y/n) doesn't get hurt while I'm gone."

Natalie hung up. 

"Hm. I would have thought she'd be excited about that, considering the fact that you're together." Jack commented idly as Rake picked at the carpet.

You gawked at him, _"She told you?"_

He flatly laughed, "Nat's a very open person." You shifted anxiously. "Don't worry about me blabbing, your secret's safe with me." 

Sometimes you forgot these people had phones and they liked to gossip amongst themselves.

"I'm surprised honestly, you don't seem like a good kisser." Jack teased with a weak smirk, "Much less open to tongue."

Outwardly, you unconvincingly laughed it off, "Thanks, I think?" You internally screeched, _this is hell._

_Tip, tap, tip, tap._

Natalie skidded around the corner, grinning and clutching her phone. Face lighting up when her eye landed on you, " _Salut_!" She whizzed by a very confused Rake and came to a screeching halt. "Alright virgin, get outta here."

"I'm not-" Jack shook his head, "This is serious. I need you both to make sure he doesn't get himself hurt."

Nat straighten up, smile falling, "Is he doin' the thing again?"

"Yeah. I'll be back in a few. Oh and," Jack pointed behind you both while tapping his foot, "He's walking away."

"Shit." Nat hissed, gesturing for you to keep up, "Come on (Y/n). Good luck J-man."

Jack grunted in reply, already stomping off. 

Exchanging 'how do you do's', you and Natalie followed Rake to the main entrance. He looked like he was going to go out them, but then he saw the sign for Kay Jewelers. Valuable gems set in sterling silver bands were long gone, but that's not what he was after. Behind the counter was a glossy poster of a shining woman, hand held out to the camera to show off a diamond ring. Whoever designed the poster put a holographic sheen over the ring, adding a giant sparkle reflecting off the thing. Rake was utterly hypnotized by the poster, quietly muttering, "Marrr, marrr, marrr."

"How long has he been at it?" Natalie asked, bounding over to a rusty bench. 

"Awhile." You followed her lead and flopped yourself onto cold metal. Her side pressing into you and with an arm already around your shoulder, you weren't as chilly.

Watching him stand there was as riveting as watching paint dry. Time ticked by and your stomach only got heavier. Soon enough a confession was leaking from your lips, "Jane's mad at me."

Nat put her other hand atop yours, soothing her thumb over your knuckles. "Janey's got a soft spot for you, I mean, I think everyone here's got somethin' for you. Jack never-" She waved off her lost train of thought, "I'm sure she's just stressed."

"I compared her to Jeff and she punched a hole in the wall." You deadpanned.

Natalie grimaced, "Oough."

"Started talking about how her family died."

Hearing the secondhand account seemed to do psychological damage to Natalie, a deep grimace on her face. "That's even worse. Why did you do that?"

Guilt weighed heavy on your conscience. You rehashed what happened. Nat nodded along with lips anxiously sucked into her mouth. 

"Ooh yeah, that's _super_ bad." 

You already knew that. "Thanks."

"Not tryin' to be a dick about it! Callin' it like I see it. What you need is flowers and the mental capacity to work things out for three hours." She perked up, "Think there's some lil puff ball thingies downstairs." Natalie hopped off the bench, checking on Rake to see if he'd moved. Still as a statue. "Wait here, I'll be back in a jiffy and we can start planning your apology."

Before she left, she bent down and kissed you. What was supposed to be a peck turned into something more when she wormed her tongue into your mouth and your hand found it's way into her hair. You were going at it for about five minutes when she suddenly remembered why she was standing in the first place, and told you she'd be right back as you giggled. 

And then there were two. Being almost alone would be refreshing if your heart wasn't pounding from the idea of Rake attacking you. Mutely, you sighed and sunk deeper into the stiff bench. You couldn't hear Jack's stomping or the _tick tock_ of Natalie's clock. Calm, quiet. You leaned your head back and contently stared at the ceiling.

**_SMASH!_**

You jolted upright onto your feet. Before you stood your worst fucking nightmare.

Jeff retracted his shaking fist from the shattered glass door. Knuckles bloody and filled with shards. Heavily breathing with his lips quivering, despite his sliced cheeks you could tell he was frowning. If he could still cry, he would be.

_"You."_ Jeff growled, voice shaking harder than your legs. " _You're fucking that faggot!?"_ Boot crushed glass as he lugged his disgusting body into your new home. 

You didn't know what to say to him. Throwing sentiments and morals at him only made him laugh and taunt you. Far too rotten on the inside to save. You didn't want to save him anymore either. You reached into your pocket for the knife.

_"ARE YOU SOME SORT OF DYKE NOW!?"_ He screeched, reaching for his sheath. _"ANSWER ME!"_

Ugly. Hateful. Disgusting in every way. The same face that cruelly grinned at you while stabbing your best friend over and over and _over._ Run and he'd stab you between your vertebrae. Fight and _maybe_ you'll get to stab him back.

But you weren't delusional, " _GUYS! HELP! HE'S HERE!"_

Jeff's disposition shifted to something a little more pathetic like you'd punched him in the gut. You were relying on other people now. Not only that, you pulled out a knife of your own and were ready to fight. He got what he wanted, your complete hatred. But at the same time, he'd never looked so sad, so defeated. 

Jeff gathered himself for an eerily quiet moment before he coolly chuckled, "No one's coming." Thick fingers tightened around the knife's handle slipping out of it's sheath silently, one boot slid in front of the other. "And I'm going to kill you."

He came at you running.


	35. 34 - Rotten Little Fucker

**Use of the F slur.**

What exactly were you to do when two-hundred pounds of pure rage and violence was coming at you full force? Run? No, he'd catch you. Stand still? No, you wouldn't be prepared. Get into a vaguely memorized fighting stance? Sure, that might work. 

"Are you kidding me?" Jeff cackled, "You're really gonna try to fight _me?"_

You flexed your shaking fingers around the handle, not ready but willing. 

He flashed a nasty grin, "Least you finally realized that you can't fuckin' win me over." 

Hatred and disgust finally allowed themselves to rocket off of your tongue, "I don't want to win you over."

Rake lackadaisically turned his head towards the commotion, blinking slowly and trying to understand. He was supposed to be a threat to everyone but right now, Rake was as painfully docile as could be.

"Don't come any closer!" You barked, heart shuddering harder than the floor beneath your sneakers.

"I can tell _she_ taught you how to fight. Told you to hold your knife all fancy, huh?" His grip was primitive, entire fist balled around the blade's handle. Knuckles stark white under his death grip and shaking with rage. "Here, lemme hold it like that fag, fight like her too, show you how _shit_ you both are."

Natalie taught you defense against the brute force, 'stab 'em hard enough and they'll stop moving' kind of attacks that were synonymous with Jeff. Not her death by a thousand cuts style.

_Uh-oh!_

You saw the first slash coming quick and tried to hop out of the way but Jeff was too fast. Dahmer whipped through the sleeve of your jacket, ripping open layers of skin and grazing at muscle. Stung like a bitch. 

Hissing through ground teeth you stumbled back to gain some control. Jeff closely followed, "Why aren't you doing shit, huh?"

"I'm trying!" You growled, not knowing why you tried to justify your inexperience to him of all people.

"You that helpless (Y/n)? Natalie didn't teach you enough of her fruity fucking dance moves?" Another swift strike was delivered to the same arm, higher up and along your bicep. 

_"Fuck!"_ You cried. The harsh sting followed by the damp warmth of blood soaking into your clothes. Instinct had you tactlessly swipe at the man only for him to dodge. If you wanted to hit, you had to follow Natalie's instructions, not your inexperienced body's.

"You gonna cry?" Jeff childishly taunted, delivering another shallow slice.

"Yes!" You already were but that didn't stop you from catching him in the forearm. Tough give you hadn't anticipated stopped you. Blade sunken in deep, grazing along bone while severed muscles wetly suctioned onto the metal. Natalie made slashing sound easy.

The good part was that you got something in him that forced his pinkie and middle finger to dangle uselessly off the handle. 

_"BITCH!"_ Jeff shoved the ball of his hand into your stomach. You flew back, landing hard on your ass.

**\----**

_The backs of your thighs stung under the hot pavement._

_"Why'd you do that?" You cried. Borrowed Nintendo DS sitting forgotten beside your knees, thankfully not broken by the fall._

_Jeff rolled his eyes before shouting, "Duh! Because you fucking cheated!"_

_"I didn't!" You huffed. Third time today he'd accused you of foul play for simply winning. Jeff was never very good at video games as much as he tried to be. Made him bitter and angry that his little hands could never move fast enough. That his young mind couldn't fully wrap around combos or strategies. He'd get there in time but that wasn't enough._

_He put his grubby finger in your face. "Yes, you did! I saw you!"_

_"That's a short cut, it's not a cheat Jeff."_

_He snarled, "I never saw it and I never said you could take it!"_

_"It's in the game! I'm allowed to play what's there!"_

_Your patience only made him angrier. "No fucking way that someone like you could have won without it."_

_Oh. So that's how he saw you. Stupid, overly oblivious, and annoying like everybody else._

_"Ya'know what?" You pushed yourself to your feet, shoved the DS into his chest, and dusted yourself off, "I'm going home." Biting your lip didn't stop the violent quiver. Tears were to come._

_"What!? We're not done yet!"_

_You were already bounding down his steep driveway, shade falling away for summer heat to mercilessly beat down your back._

_"Wait I-" You wouldn't indulge him after that. No talking, turning, enabling. "Whatever, pussy."_

_**\----**_

Crusty brown fabric turned a fresh shade of red. Your own clothes weren't free of the same treatment. Blood was seeping out slowly, but you weren't exactly accustomed to being stabbed. 

You looked behind yourself to see if help was coming. Nobody. The only other soul around was staring confusedly, slowly lowering back onto all fours, "Rrraaaa?"

Jeff looked down his stub of a nose at you, "Did you _really_ just fucking cut me?"

Blood loss, pain, and injury didn't phase him at all. Came with the territory. 

_Say nothing, don't provoke him even more unless you've got a death wish._

"You just gonna sit there and piss your pants? Maybe shit em', huh, you fucking baby?" Closer. There's no way out of this, there is no high road.

"Yeah, I cut you." You hopped onto your feet, "And I'd do it again!" Proactive for once, you came at him.

Taken aback by your bared teeth and raised blade, Jeff froze for a moment. Good enough for you to get in close with an upward slash. He re-awoke just as you shoved your knife into his triceps.

"Get off!" Sounded distantly like his old self, voice constantly cracking yet ragged due to him constantly screaming, "Fuck," or, "Eat shit!"

Brutal and quick he jammed his boot into your lower ribs. You were sent flying back, knife yanked from his flesh. Again you fell onto your ass, handle falling from your palm as force demanded you to tumble. Belly up, dazed, defenseless. Perfect target. 

"Too easy. See (Y/n)?" Stomp, stomp, stomp, he was coming for you, "I could'a taught you better if you just-"

"Liked you?" You snapped, pushing yourself up onto your forearms, "Not in a thousand years." 

Jeff's lips curled back so far you see his gray gums, "Yer not gonna live that long."

"Humans have an average lifespan of about eighty years. Of course n- _HURK!"_ Tender torso tormented again under the weight of his foot. Pinned beneath him and wriggling like a roly-poly, you felt like you were about to burst.

Jeff pressed down harder. "Always hated when you did that." He eyed Dahmer's reddened edge and quietly mused, "We won't have to deal with that shit anymore, huh?" He expectantly eyed the pointy thing, intently listening to what soulless steel had to say.

Mutual verdict. Jeff didn't need you when he had a mute yes-man. 

Dahmer was on his way to pop your lungs before you could spout meaningful last words. 

All at once, he was gone. Weight ripped off your chest by a screeching pale blur. 

You reeled at your sudden safety and the bitter struggle ten-ish feet away. 

_"Get off you stupid fucking mutt!"_

**THUMP.**

_"GRRAA!"_

You heaved, peeling yourself onto your knees and scrambling over to your lost weapon. Torn skin ached and cried. Determination wavered drastically from pain and pressure; maybe you should cut and run while he's distracted.

_SHHHURRK!_

Rake made a sound crossed between a screaming banshee and a whining puppy. Jeff was laughing.

Look.

Red. Rake laid in a shriveled heap of his own twitching limbs, pink tubes flopped out of a long slit in his chest. The most movement was the shaky rise and fall of his busted chest with his pitiful whines. His attacker didn't get off scot-free. Jeff was standing, staggering, laughing like the cockroach that he was. Right arm dangling from his shoulder like a chain-link sausage.

Fear, disgust, and terror pushed vomit all the way to the back of your teeth. Lingering over your tongue as you scrambled over to your knife. It took two hard, throat-burning swallows to gather yourself enough to stand and not projectile puke.

Help still hadn't come. You hadn't stopped bleeding. Rake didn't look like he would anytime soon. Maybe once he died. Natalie may have come back from being disemboweled, but Rake was so skeletal. His fruitless attempts to get back up only let his innards flop out even more. Milky eyes tried their best to focus on you, lipless maw moving to plea but nothing but a wheezy squeak came out.

_Help._

Noah's sobs rang distantly in your ears. You remembered the loud pop of your shoulder, the shake of the floor as Jeff stabbed him over and over. You remembered your attempted heroism and how horribly it failed. It was happening again. 

You didn't know how to help but maybe Jack could. " _JACK, HELP! WE'RE HURT! NAT?! JANE! GUYS! PLEASE!"_

"You think _you're_ hurt!?" Jeff jerked forward, arm swinging, blood flatly dribbling to the ground in unpredictable spirals. "Look at me!" 

Composure slipped through your fingers. "It's always about you isn't it!? Poor little Jeffery!" You nastily sneered, "Look at him, he needs attention or he'll fucking kill somebody!"

Crusty lips curled into gray gums, words pushed through ground teeth, "Shut up! I don't care! I don't need-"

"What are you doing here then!?" You stomped toward him. Unable to tell if you wanted to make him back off or if you were a dumb masochist. He stared. You hammered another nail in somebody's coffin, "You care too much, you know."

"I don't care about anybody." Warning: Don't piss him off any further or you're gonna regret it.

You'd heed it if you weren't so drudged up in his shit, "Oh yeah!? Then why are you so mad about me kissing Natalie!?"

Jeff's rotten little heart couldn't take the truth. It showed all over his deformed face just how much he cared, how much he was hurt, betrayed. The way his cheeks flushed red with rage leading into his ears was remnant of how he looked playing multiplayer video games. He always was a sore loser. 

Before you knew it, Rake was flying through the air, guts flapping behind him like streamers on a kite. 

**THUD!**

Rake's frail body went limp on impact with the wall. Face down and a mess of meat. Your stomach felt cold, hard, heavy. Screams, pleas, and sentiments died in your throat. What were you even supposed to say? To do? Everything was just getting worse. All you had was determination and a knife but how far would that get you?

"Aww! Is somebody sad about a stupid fucking mutt!?" Jeff lowered his bloody boot, eyeing you between clumps of stringy grease.

Rage boiled inside of you so hate and hateful that you felt your skin searing. Muscles clenching so ridged you felt like your throat was closing, and eyes burning in need of a blink. Bitter poison rose through your neck with the choice to pay attention to what was important, _"Rake?"_ He wasn't moving. _"Are you okay?"_ You stared, waiting for something to happen. Too scared to run to his side, afraid you'd fall in his guts, terrified you'd bring Jeff with you. 

Helping would be hurting. Do nothing and he won't even have a hand to hold. Limbo.

"You should worry about yourself, dumbass!" Sounded almost like one of his brash lectures about resorting to violence with bullies at school.

Knife crudely death-gripped in his left fist, Jeff flung himself toward you. You couldn't decide if you were brave, stupid, or a frozen coward for standing still and waiting.

**\----**

_Knock, knock._

_You looked up from your fidget toy to the front door._

_"Who's there?" It'd been a boring few days without seeing Jeff._

_Everyone else in the house was out for the day and you weren't expecting them to be home until early evening. If it was them, they'd just come in with the house key. Instead, the doorknob stayed still and no one announced themselves._

_You set your entertainment down and warily approached the door. Though you knew Jeff was behind all the stray cat slayings, all the worry and paranoia from your peers got to you. Sometimes you had nightmares about a greasy grown man breaking in and chopping you to bits. You never told Jeff about that. Whenever you'd carefully ask if he'd ever hurt a person, he'd always reply, "Not you," then change the subject._

_You're fine, open the door._

_Peeking through a narrow crack, you spied a small rock sitting atop flapping paper. Coast clear? You swung the door wide open and snatched the page out from under the makeshift paperweight. Almost illegible, it took you a few minutes to decipher the message written across it._

_'SoRry i saiD that ur a pussy'_

_You looked at the house across the street. There he was in his usual hiding place after dropping off an apology. Very visible in-between hydrangea leaves, Jeff quietly stared at you for a reaction. It was always tough for him to apologize, especially face to face._

_"I can see you."_

_He slowly stood up, sneakers crunching thick flower necks._

_"My garden!"_ _The neighbor's shriek from their upstairs window fell on deaf ears._

_You inwardly sighed, such trouble. "Dude, just don't push me again and we're fine."_

_Jeff twiddled his fingers, "For real?" His mom played a mind-fucking bait 'n switch game of acceptance then rejection with him every week. Jeff always needed a little extra validation, attention, and care because of her._

_"Yeah, no biggie."_

**\----**

Blood loss and injury slowed Jeff down, but it didn't stop him. Resilient fucker had plenty experience getting hit when brutally murdering people who viciously fought for their lives. Some nights Jane would read reports aloud to you, each more gruesome than the last. Plenty bit back, stabbed, and smashed things over him, but they always ended up mangled. Jeff would remain a free man and they'd be unavenged. Same outcome no matter what. 

You got as ready as you could, hissing disgustedly, "You really are obsessed with me."

"Holy shit, you're self centered." Jeff sneered, boots shaking the ground as he grew closer. "I'm here for _my bitch_. You're just in the way!" 

A warning swipe whizzed past your chest, just barely missing. According to everything you knew, Jeff could have gotten you right then and there. But he didn't. He wasn't ready to _really_ hurt you. 

More confident and drunk on adrenaline, you spat, "Nina's dead!"

_"Bullshit!"_

How didn't he know? Stabbing someone in the heart wasn't exactly non-lethal. Jeff was truly so diluted to think that Nina would be fine, that she was mostly unaffected like he was. Self centered and needy, he came crawling back to pick up his only source of validation. Too bad he threw a tantrum and condemned her to die. Now all he had on his side was Dahmer.

Another, snagging your jacket and ripping out strands of thread. You swung back while trying to keep to his right. 

You yelped as his knife shallowly sliced your side. Fighting off the urge to beg him to stop, you blurted, "Why would I lie!?" 

Jeff's snarl softened for only a moment, "Everyone lies! Where is she!?"

Nina didn't deserve any respect but out of spite, you'd not let him anywhere near her remains. 

"Dead because you couldn't control yourself!"

"I'll show you!" Not missing a beat of slashing, Jeff swiveled his head every which way and screamed, " _NINA, I'M HERE!"_

All he got in response was, "I can _smell_ him! They're this way!" Jane sounded like a rabid dog hungry for blood. 

"(Y/n)!?" Natalie's distantly called.

"Jeff!" You couldn't tell if Sully or Liu was fronting. 

"Rake?" Glad to hear Jack had his priorities straight.

The gang wasn't leaving you out to dry, you were so relieved. This would be over soon.

"Guys!" You desperately yelled down the corridor to your companions.

Jealous, lonely, desperate. " _NINA!?"_ Jeff actually paused, intently listening for a scream back from his loyal lover. 

Jane gleefully cackled from down the way, "She's dead!" 

You couldn't help yourself, "And it's all _your_ fault!"

Jeff snapped his attention back to you with a whistling swing that hardly missed. 

" _No, it's not!_ " His squeal gave away how fast it was sinking in. 

You carved into him, "She fucking _hates_ you for what you did!" 

Dry eyes bulged horribly at you, bright red veins pulsating with every heavy beat of his heart. Loss, grief, love lifeline cut by the same one that cut yours. Jeff hated the bitter taste of his own medicine, hated that so many things were his fault, that he was everything you said he was, that he was worse than his parents.

Hate. Hate. _Hate._ It was all Jeff could do. Growth was forever out of his reach. Rotten, selfish, ugly, looking back at you, so much better than he and somebody he could never have or be. 

" _FUCK YOU, DIE!"_ Dahmer was plunged down, sure to strike hard and fatal.

Jeff was too close to run from, his rank odor almost covering the scent of blood. You made a choice, one that if you failed would leave you dead. Not to think like a motivational poster in a middle school classroom _but,_ you miss one-hundred percent of the shots you don't take.

Natalie advised for going for the neck or tendons but you panicked. Knife quickly jabbed into the closest spot possible. Nina would be disappointed you didn't get him in the ribs but if she was watching, she'd be satisfied with stuffing a blade into his belly. It wasn't smooth or pleasant going in, you heard every squelch and squish of his innards being sliced. Grip wavering halfway in, you could have stopped, but you were hungry for Jeff to be as hurt as possible. A guttural grunt ripped from your throat as you forcefully pushed your blade all the way inside of him.

Jeff could have severed your spinal column if he wanted to, but the second you stabbed him, it was like you'd flipped his off switch. You wish Jeff would make up his mind and either play the hurt puppy or the vicious monster. All the back and forth made your head spin and pissed you off to no end. How dare he show traces of who he used to be.

You took the chance to go for a low blow, "Nina wanted this." You didn't consider yourself a bad person but you savored the hurt look in his eyes. "I'm not doing this just for her. I hate you and I want this _more."_

You sounded like Natalie and Jane combined, you sounded like yourself. Never thought you'd be so satisfied with violence, maybe it sometimes was the answer. You were kinda ape shit, but so were the people you hung out and made out with, they all really were rubbing off on you.

More. For Noah, Rake, and everyone else he'd hurt. You harshly tugged on the handle to the sound of _sshhhk._ Didn't come out. Natalie's lesson on slash over stab echoed in your head a little too late. Oops. 

Oh well, taking your sweet time would still hurt him. Jeff stood there and took your yanking, took the pain with arms limp at his sides. A forlorn look swept his face, tired, defeated, somber in knowing that you hated him. Really, really hated him. The image of you he'd built in his head was all wrong, you may have been crying but they were happy tears more than anything. Sweet, semi-innocent, and tolerant of his shit, you weren't that person at all anymore. It'd been a decade, things change.

A nasty snarl ripped from your throat as you yanked on the blade, "You deserve this."

_That's it._

Without thinking as usual, Jeff shoved his knife toward you. " _SHUT UP!"_

You saw the gang rip around a corner, figures distant and undetailed. You would have been relieved if you weren't stuck in a slowed moment, Dahmer centimeters from your abdomen. No matter how hard you jumped back, you knew it wouldn't be fast enough. Luck and second chances had finally run out. 

Time fast-forwarded and suddenly, you were skewered. Feeling his knife split your skin and brutally slam inside of you was a lot more underwhelming than you thought. Dahmer was completely settled inside of split intestines. An indescribable hardness sitting at the center of a pulsing static-like feeling. Blurring vision, an involuntary shriek, and muddled thought were all other side effects of being in shock.

Jeff's fingers pressed around the wound's opening. If that wasn't bad enough, he was so close you could smell the six packs of smokes and booze he'd had in the past three days. Man musk stronger than ever with a clear lack of showering.

_Get it out._

Instead of grabbing his hand, you quaked. Body betraying you while trying not to shut down and drop dead. Stare at the blood spreading through your jacket was all you could do.

Jeff drank in the sight of your quaking form and crying face. Teeth unclenched, brow softened, and about to wail, he mumbled, "I stabbed you."

"Yep." You whimpered, trying to gather the strength to push the knife deep inside him again.

"Holy shit, _I_ stabbed _you."_ Broken record. You violently shuddered as his hand began to shake. "I- I didn't-"

No, it was too late for that. Seven inches of hell was already inside of you. Jeff didn't deserve to feel bad for you after all the shit he'd done. Pity from him made you want to vomit blood. 

"Why are you acting surprised?" You managed to grunt between heaves, "You do this all the time." Take, and take, and take. Destroy and enjoy. 

Knives jammed into each other, two old best friends stared each other down. Neither willing to look away, one holding the other accountable, the other about to actually piss his pants. Just like he did during sleepovers when you were kids. 

Natalie and Jane were yelling for you but their voices sounded so distant and muffled. Jeff's was the only one you could decipher.

 _"I didn't mean it."_ Consciousness whispering that his voice would be the last you'd ever hear. 

You shuddered, stomach knotted with dread and disgust. Bile threatened to spew right in Jeff's face. You wish it would but nothing but words came out when you wretched, "Yes, you fucking did." Jeff meant it when he rushed you, screamed slurs at you, cut you. He sure as hell meant this too behind his puppy dog act. 

He loved you, he hated you. Wanted you alive to horde, but dead to forget.

_Breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth._

You felt weird, tingly, head light and spinning. You thought you could feel a heaviness on your shoulders and breath on your neck. Smelled like fruit snacks stolen from isle five. Incorporeal and dubiously real, Noah tried to rub your shoulders and lull you into unconsciousness for a painless death.

No, not like this. You refused to die. Steady, in, out, in, out. Carried on your exhale was a soft, "I hate you."

Jeff looked like you'd stabbed him again, bug eyed, shaken, and scared. At least he didn't look like that kid anymore, he looked a selfish and flaky pathetic drunk. Like the real him.

He leaned in close, "You do?" Through his cut smile, you detected a frown.

The floor shook beneath your feet. Enraged and desperate yells alike grew louder.

"Yeah."

Jeff eyed the blood pooling around his knife, then looked over his shoulder at the incoming mob. Protector no longer but worse than the bullies at school. Two choices presented themselves to him. Stay, finally get to die, make the world better, or run and get to see and terrorize you again. 

You both knew which one the coward would choose.

Your knife was easily plucked out of his belly. The second it was your hand slacked and dropped it.

Coming out was so much worse than going in. The awful emptiness that Dahmer left behind in your gut was like nothing else. You sucked in a gasp and tried to bring your shaking hands to the dark slit. 

Jeff backed up, face unreadable, and hardly seeming to notice his own stab wound. Didn't even flinch when he turned around and his dangly arm flapped all over the place. Then he stumbled back toward the broken door, staring at you the entire way, lips quivering but not finding a thing to say. He slinked out the door with his tail between his legs before bursting into a sprint. Hopefully he was going far, far away from here. 

**\----**

_Jeff fidgeted anxiously with his hoodie strings,_ _"Soooo, you don't hate me?"_

_"Huh?" You tilted your head, "No? You were really mean, but no."_

_He looked at his shoes, "But we haven't texted in such a long time."_

_"I needed some time but also I got really, really invested in this show." You sheepishly admitted, holding the door open a little wider, "Think you'd like it."_

_He pursed his lips, "Are you sure you don't hate me?"_

_"Jeff, you know I love you," the boy perked up before you brought your foot down, "but you need to work on not being like that. It hurts my feelings a lot and I know it's tough for Liu too."_

_With a long drawn out sigh, he stepped forward into the flowers. Unwilling and unwanting to address his problems._

_"Hey! Get off of those!" Neighbor lady screeched._

_Casting a snide look over his shoulder, Jeff stuck out his tongue and jumped. Colorful flowers, full of life and nurtured by love were crushed under his converse._

_"MY BABIES!"_

_Jeff nastily cackled while barreling toward your open front door. "Suck it, Misses Dick-Penis-Hole!"_

_Yes, it was unclever and rude, but you couldn't help but snicker. That's just being a kid._

_She screamed at him that he'd rue the day he'd ever crossed her. You shut the door, laughing together and making impromptu plans to watch that show you liked together._

_About a year later her house was set on fire. Whole thing burnt to the ground, the flames even got her garden. Didn't take long to find her remains in what was left in her living room. All that was left was liquefied fat and charred bones. It made you think about Jeff again, you wondered if he burnt to death in the house fire he set. Maybe everyone just wanted to hide the ugly truth from you till you were older. That night, you listened to sirens wail and smelled smoke, that night you reminisced about watching two seasons of your favorite show together in one sitting._

**\----**

Lacking the support of a knife in you, you started to dangerously wobble. The ground shaking didn't help at all. You gasped and flailed around the best you could to keep balance.

" _GET BACK HERE!"_

_"Jeff!"_

_"I'M GONNA FUCKIN' KILL YOU, WOODS!"_

_"Rake?"_

Calvary's here.

"Hey guys, I don't feel so good." You weakly called for their aid, but it was barely a whisper, your voice seemed distant even to yourself.

Everyone was so heated about Jeff running away or Rake laying on the floor. His bald head shakily rose off the bloody floor and despite his guts on the ground, Rake did his best to look at you. Sounds akin to a broken whistle rose from his throat. Edges of his needly mouth shifted up, you think he was trying his best to smile. He couldn't find his first family but he wouldn't lose a member of his second. 

For a moment, you were more concerned about Rake more than yourself, "Take it easy." You hoped he was back to normal. At least if he died, he'd die happy.

"Ra." _Ok._

His head flopped onto the floor, milky eyes open and unfocused. 

_"RAKE!"_ Jack was already by his side, crumpled over his friend and crying to carefully pick up the gooey pieces. "Stay with me bud, it's gonna be okay."

_"Get back here!"_ Sully's voice was rimmed that animistic tone it once had, _"_ You little fuc- Wait, (Y/n)? Are you- Holy shit!" Sully sputtered, being the first to lay eyes on your stomach.

Nat and Jane were consumed by rage, barreled full speed ahead to the broken door. "GET BACK HERE PUSS-ACK!"

"I'M GONNA RIP YOUR GUTS OU-OOUGH!"

One of Jack's tendrils whipped out and pulled the girls back by their stomachs. "Now's not the time. Help me get him and (Y/n) downstairs." So he noticed too, but went to Rake first. Understandable but man, you were in a bad spot too.

The girls argued but you couldn't tell what they were saying anymore. You were so cold and tired.

Your balance finally gave out but the incoming floor never came. Sully carefully adjusted you in his arms. A stiff frown rested on your original guardian angel's face. For someone so skinny, he was strong.

Jane hovered around him. Velvety glove finding one of your clammy (s/c) hands. Warmly wrapping around it and giving it a gentle squeeze while pressing something firm over your stomach. 

Nat ran over to Jack to help him with Rake, but not without casting a worried look your way. You wish you had the time or energy to say something to them before you blacked out.

**\----**

First thing you felt was your cold back. One after the other, new sensations popped up; cotton in your brain, stinging limbs, aching throbs that only seemed to intensify, and the voices.

"Jack, why did you leave (Y/n)?" Who was that? Why were they so mad? You liked their voice, it was pretty but it made you feel a spark of guilty dread. 

"Natalie, why did you leave her?" Another; deep, annoyed, snappy and, familiar. 

"She felt really bad about what she said. I was gonna be gone a second but I couldn't find any puffballs and-" Number three was sniffling, voice shaky and constantly cracking.

_"This is my fault."_ Jane?

"No, no, babe, it's mine I shouldn't have left." Natalie? 

Jack just sighed.

"So you're telling me you're all useless?" Sully barked, a dangerous edge in his voice, "God, I should just-" Against his better judgment, he didn't continue.

"Just what, huh? Try something, I fucking dare you." Natalie snapped back.

Something audibly shifted before the two were protesting. "Enough." 

"Put me down!" Natalie hissed.

"Not until I'm sure you two won't do anything _stupid."_ You couldn't place the sounds coming from Jack's direction. You felt a strong sense of dread. Why hadn't you heard Rake yet? Why couldn't you open your eyes?

_"FUCK YOU!"_ Sully's struggle got louder.

"Hm. Nat, I need your help over here. Don't go after him when I put you down."

_"DON'T FUCKING IGNORE ME!"_

 _"_ Okay."She sounded like she was about to implode with rage but at least she could properly think.

_"LET ME GO! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"_

"On that shelf, grab the third smallest bottle. Should be saline solution."

Natalie's sneakers slapped passed you, "How do you keep track of this stuff if you can't read it?"

"Phone." He simply grunted, "And memorizing bottle shapes. Find it yet?"

_"DID YOU HEAR ME!?"_

Took Natalie a moment to read all the labels, "Wound wash?"

"Yeah."

"I'M GONNA FUCKING- _MMMPHMHMPMM!"_

"My fault." Jane murmured, the scene behind completely lost on her. Soft fabric squeezed your hand as something was firmly pressed into your abdomen. It sent a harsh shock wave up to your brain and your consciousness retreated.

**\----**

You flickered back to reality with a pained gasp. Eyelids forced open and you immediately started to curl into yourself.

Jane jerked back in shock but held the bandage on your belly firm. She quickly gathered herself, put a hand on your shoulder, and strongly pushed you back to lay. "Calm down, it's okay just don't move."

The table was cold on your bare skin. (S/c) flesh was uncomfortably coated with half-dried blood. Warm wetness soaked around alarmingly red cuts along your arms, a few minor scrapes laid across your chest, the worst one was covered up by something fluffy, white, and red. 

"I think I need some stitches." You mumbled obviously, your thinking slow and muddy.

Jane sighed while Liu or one of his alters worked on cleaning your wounds. It stung a lot, you were already crying by the time you woke up. You couldn't feel your stomach at least. 

"Hush, you need to save your strength." Ezekiel. How in hell did he come around when Sully was in full swing in one of his tantrums?

You heeded his advice for a while, watching the two homos carefully disinfect every little cut they could find. Everything they needed for stitches was messily slapped onto a cart beside the table.

Wait a second.

"Where's Nina?" You felt like you were intruding on her spot, her gurney. 

"Floor." Jane replied.

"Oh." You held in your apologies to the dead but not to the living, "Hey Jane?"

Softly but still firm she said, "Didn't you hear him, be quiet." 

"I'm sorry," you stupidly continued, "I shouldn't have said that stuff to you. You're not really like him."

"No, I am. It's my fault that you're hurt. I'm no better." Her hands were shaking, her voice was slipping back into that terrified anger. 

You gently rose your pinky to weakly brush along her wrist. "You didn't stab me."

"I'm about to." She said, grabbing a needle to stitch you back together with.

You smiled, "You're funny."

"I'm not."

"You're literally going to help me. I know that you'd never actually hurt me." At least now, not a few months ago.

"(Y/n), shut up." Natalie firmly instructed, back turned to you, busy doing whatever with Jack. You couldn't see Rake's chest but you hoped it was neatly sewn shut. You hoped he'd be okay. You hoped you wouldn't start laughing at the medical facemask over Jack's eyes. That was one way to ensure he wouldn't leak into his patient. 

You actually listened because talking probably wasn't the hottest idea.

"The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still." Ezekiel applied the quote rather literally, but you weren't mad about it. It was sort of reassuring even though you were over the constant sermons.

Jane turned her head toward him to emphasize quiet disapproval. You wished you could see her face, you wish you knew what she was thinking. 

"You're not going to die." She suddenly said. You tilted your head at her. "I know you're thinking it. But you'll be alright, trust me." You think you could sort of understand what was going through her head when she took the time to reassuringly squeeze your hand again. You liked to think that she was smiling. 

Strangely enough, she didn't go for your belly. You thought that was the most important thing to get to. Either way, the second the needle pierced your flesh, you were out.

**\----**

Everything was _almost_ sore. Just on the brink of hurting, but something refused to let your nerves properly work. You just understood that your skin felt tighter.

You cracked your eyelids open. 

Jane was holding one hand and Ezekiel was holding the other. The former had her head over her shoulder, relaying to the others, "We got the smaller stuff but we can't leave her like this much longer." 

You followed her gaze and wished Natalie was blocking the horrible view. Jack's hands were deep inside of Rake, rearranging and stitching. Blood had caked itself up his forearms and found his chest. Rake's skin was paler than usual. You could barely see the rise and all of his feeble ribcage. Long arms and legs splaying off the table he'd laid on. There was so much blood. 

The facemask somewhat hid Jack's eyebrows but you could see they were knit. His jaw was locked and shoulders tense. Natalie regarded him sympathetically, going along with whatever he ordered her to do. 

"She can wait." He commanded and held out his bloody hand, "Clamps."

Natalie perused her lips and passed him the tool, "I'm not gonna say I know what's really going on, but (Y/n) looks like shit."

How long had it been since you first passed out? Was Jane wrong? Were you going to die? "Thanks." You quietly mumbled.

Nat sharply eyed you, "Save your strength."

"Jack," Jane barked again, "You need to operate on (Y/n) _now."_

 _"I'm busy."_ He growled.

"She's a human, you talk about how fragile they are _all the time_." Natalie reasoned, "Rake's been through some nasty scrapes and pulled through but he's not a human. No one else knows how to fix her guts but you."

A cringe curled on his lips, "I just need some more time, I can fix this, I'm a God. I can-"

Nat put a hand on his bicep, "He's lost too much blood."

_"So did you."_ His desperation leaked out of every syllable.

"I only lived because you found me right after, remember?" The longer Nat talked, the more you understood. "You're good at this but you can't always pull off a miracle." Rake's going to die. Try as Jack might, it's inevitable. 

Jack jerked his arm away from her, moving something he shouldn't have inside of his patient. 

**"Don't."** He clutched Rake's guts like a dragon held onto gold. He wouldn't let go, he couldn't let go.

The air in the operating room and morgue grew uncomfortably humid. You remembered how hot your skin was under Jeff's boot. How scared you were to die. You remember the weight lifting off your chest all because of Rake. 

Fuck saving energy, Rake saved your life and you were going to let them know that. "I never meant for Jeff to hurt him."

"Did you cause this?" Jack hissed and the air got hotter.

"I never asked Rake to help me. He just did. I owe him my life, I can wait." You were so cold, weren't thinking right, and you felt like shit.

"What!? No!" Jane argued, "You wouldn't-" She refused to talk about that outcome.

"Jack, please." Natalie piled on. "Rake saved her because he wanted her to live, don't let that be in vain."

"I promise taking care of (Y/n) won't take long. You can get to Rake right after." Wow, Jane used his name instead of calling him a weird dog. 

"For nothing will be impossible with God.” You don't think Ezekiel meant Jack's acclaimed godhood, but it was on the nose enough. 

Jane continued, "(Y/n) needs to be alive if you want to get revenge."

"Okay, but you need to make sure he doesn't get any worse."

Natalie took the reins, more literally, the clamp, "I'll do my best."

Jack quickly cleaned himself up and threw on a fresh pair of gloves. Eventually, he was towering over you, humming to keep his view constant and fresh. He talked Jane through finding his sedative while he prepared his tools.

Everything was ready, all Jane had to do was knock you out. 

Maybe it was the blood loss, or the trauma, or fear that these moments would be your last but you were feeling sentimental.

"Can you give Rake my Jersey Devil pin? I want him to have it." He wasn't conscious to know about it but you hoped the fighting spirit assigned to it would help.

Jack plucked the pin from your cast aside jacket and said something he never did, "Thanks." He dropped it into Rake's hand, long fingers didn't curl around it, they just lay still.

You felt a pinch in your arm. "Huh?"

"Go to sleep, you'll be awake before you know it." Jane sincerely hoped you would.

Ezekiel put his hands together in a momentary prayer. "God be with you."

You were confused by their words, you didn't feel the effects at all. "Guys, it's probably going to ta-"

**\----**

It was like any other time you got up in the morning at the mall. Cold, uncomfortable, and sore. 

First thing you did when you opened your eyes was look down. A fat bandage was sitting atop your wound. You weren't dead. 

"Hey you, you're finally awake." Natalie smiled down at you, sweat on her brow, and continuously tapping her thigh _. One, two, three, four._ Her other hand's pinkie was wrapped around yours.

 _"_ How are you feeling?" Jane perked up from her spot against the wall. Why was she there and not helping Jack?

You couldn't feel any pain but you could hardly feel the table either. You were nauseous with stiff muscles and a dry mouth.

"Bad." Was an understatement but talking with a sandpaper throat sucked.

Nat humorlessly laughed, "That's being stabbed for you." Jane glared at her. "Okay, okay, too soon."

"I see that the Lord does have mercy." Ezekiel said from his spot on the floor. 

"Why are you two down there?" You mumbled.

"You can't tell?" Natalie cryptically asked.

"Of course she can't." Jane scoffed, "It's not like we thought about saying anything about it."

"About what?" They were confusing your drowsy brain more and more.

"We're blessed that I remembered that I'm type O." Ezekiel hummed.

You rose a brow, "What does this have to do with a letter?"

Nat made it simple, "He gave you blood." Now that she mentioned it, he was looking a little pale. "You lost a lot more of it than we thought, it was kinda scary for a sec." 

Jane lightly elbowed her, "Don't tell her that."

"But it's the truth, I was worried." Natalie's hand slide over yours and clutched it tight. Her eyes drifted over to Ezekiel, "I still don't like you Bible Boy, but thank you." 

"All I need in thanks is your prayers for our friend over there." With that, he clasped his hands together and began to quietly recite, "Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

Religious views aside, it was a nice sentiment that no one attempted to stop. Yet those last few words made you worry.

You strained you neck to look at your fellow patient.

_Oh._

Jack had rid himself of gloves, his bare hand was slit at it's center and bleeding straight into Rake's open chest. The man was shaking, lips in deep set frown, and a thin sheen of black snot dribbled from his twitching nose. If his tear ducts weren't clogged, some of the black goop that spilled through his oversaturated facemask would be tears.

Well, that was worrying. "That's not how you transplanted blood to me, right?" 

"No." Jane flatly reassured.

Jack squeezed his fist in an attempt to make his blood run faster.He was a shade paler than normal, he hadn't noticed you'd woken up, he hadn't noticed anybody from being lost in his own world.

Nat sighed, "He's been like this for the past two hours even though-" She trailed off to worriedly stare at her friend. 

Ever since Nina's passing he'd been down here experimenting day and night. From what you'd been told, he hadn't slept a wink. 

Your eyes rested on Rake's limp hand, Jersey Devil resting coldly in it's center. Rake's chest wasn't moving anymore. Body white as a sheet ghost. That's when the water works started and you did your best not to audibly sob. 

_"Come on."_ Jack desperately plead. You'd never heard him like that before, it left you at a loss, a pit of cold despair that wasn't Dahmer.

"Jack," Nat began gently, "Rake hasn't had a pulse for two hours. Please-"

_"It'll work, it has to._ My body can fix things in me, why wouldn't this work? It's a perfect idea. He'll be okay." 

Jane took a deep breath before taking a crack at comfort, "I know it's hard, but you need to accept it."

"Natalie was touch and go but I didn't give up." He argued, voice getting hoarser and hoarser.

"Even if he comes back he'll be brain dead." Jane rebutted, "Would you really want for him?" 

Rake's life was that of a human in a dog's body. Sometimes he lived in blissful ignorance but when he remembered, when he was lucid, even you could see he was in hell. He couldn't ever speak to request being put down. but it wouldn't be surprising if the person Rake used to be would want to finally let go.

Jack turned his face away from everybody. "He's all I have."

Natalie left your side to put a hand on his arm, "You have us too." 

Through quivering lips, you offered all you could, "Rake and I are both thankful for what you've done."

Jack's hand started to heal. "But he-"

"He's in a better place." Ezekiel said.

Jane doubled down, "Rake's dead, Jack. He would want you to stop."

Jack let out a long, compressed sigh before lowering his hand. The air was thick and quiet. 

Time slid by and life resumed for the living. Jack moved slowly and didn't speak as he sewed Rake shut. Natalie stayed by his side, occasionally orbiting to you to ask how you felt. Jane draped your bomber over you for warmth. Ezekiel quietly prayed.

"Does anyone smell that?" Natalie sniffed at the air with furrowed brows.

Jane snapped, "Now's not the time for updog jokes."

"I'm serious."

Sniff, sniff. 

You remembered that smell from your teen years. Thick and overpowering, "Smoke."


	36. 35 - Can't Have Shit In New Jersey

"You sure?" Natalie asked warily.

"I could be wrong since I am on _so many_ painkillers." At least that's what they told you, while also being very cagey about what exactly Jack put you on. If it was deluded horse tranquilizers, you'd be a little mad, but still very high. 

Jane wandered over to the door and pulled it open. The corridor was darker than normal like someone took the sun and turned it's brightness down. "It just might be."

"I'll go check!" Without second thought, Natalie slipped out the door and raced out of sight. 

Jane turned to all of you: the dead, mourning, disassociating, and the wounded. "Get ready to move."

You looked at her, tried to move your fingers, couldn't, and blinked. "Uhm."

"There's wheels on that," she pointed at the table's legs, voice determined, "I'll make sure that you get out safe."

Your heart anxiously pounded in your chest in anticipation. Had to be Jeff, it was always Jeff. Fucker wouldn't leave you alone. Even if wanted to cry like a baby over hurting you, he'd do it again and again and again. But you trusted Jane's decision making skills and strength, and you hoped the smoke was from some kids camping out in one of the desolate stores. 

_Brrrrring!_

Jane pulled her cell from her dress pocket and put the caller on speaker.

"Hey so, the entire cafeteria is on fire."

"What?" Jane gasped, "How? Do you mean just a few tables?"

"No."

“Nat are you sure?"

"Jane, baby, you know I have one eye but I mean the entire-" Natalie nastily coughed into the receiver, "the _entire place_ is lit up. You guys gotta get outside, there's no way we can stop this. It’s _really_ bad.” 

The woman tensed at the news, your eyes running down her burn scar covered arm, her fist curling into a tight ball before she forced herself to announce, "Everybody up, this place could be up in flames in five minutes."

"I'm gonna grab some of my shit, meet you guys at the car?" Natalie panted over the phone, sneakers audibly slapping as she went. 

She took a step toward your wheeled table then stopped, "Shit. I need the laptop." 

"I can try and get it for yo-"

_"HEY!"_ Your stomach dropped when Jeff's voice hoarsely boomed over the phone.

"Aw shit." Natalie hissed, "I don't think I'll have time to get your stuff before he's on me."

"What? Just get out of there, don't even get your stuff." Jane argued, head swiveling from Liu to you. 

" _HEY YOU, UGLY CUNT, COME'ERE!"_ You heard distant double of his horrid voice. You hoped he wasn't close and that Jane would wheel you out fast.

Protagonist-like determination seeped into Natalie's tone, "I'm not leaving Jaffy behind." 

Was she really risking her ass over a charred, old, kinda dirty stuffed giraffe that she refused to sleep without? Yes, yes she was. Were you worried? Absolutely. But if there was anything she had over Jeff other than looks, attitude, smell, not being everything-phobic, was her speed. You didn't know much about why she cared about Jaffy so much, but it made you happy that she'd save it all while making him look like a fucking whelp.

"Don't get killed." Jane told her. 

"Hah, love you."

Jane wistfully sighed, "I love you too." They hung up at the same time, cutting off a slew of slurs from Jeff. "Alright, I need to go upstairs and get some things."

"But the fire." Laptop be damned, you cared more about her life.

"I've survived being burned once, I can handle it. You," She turned to Jack, "Get (Y/n) out of-" He was bent over Rake, fingers resting softly in his friends cold open palm. Sigh, "Decide what to do with him quickly."

Liu pulled himself up, you could tell it was him by the hard look in his eyes, and the way put his hands on either side of the table behind your head and announced, "I'll get her out."

Jane contemplated for a moment before hissing, "Don't you dare even think about running away with her or I'll-"

"Now's not the time for that." He cut her off, your guardian and best friend from another life, "Get your things, we'll see you at the car, I promise."

She cast you one last look you couldn’t decipher from under the bask before murmuring, "I better."

Then she was gone, heals click-clacking as she raced away. 

"Let's skedaddle." Liu said like the white dad friend he was, gently pushing the table to roll forward. You rolled your eyes back to see the underside of his chin. He was still pale and sleep deprived as always. You were anxious that he'd collapse on the way and leave you to both roast alive. Liu looked down at you and stiffly smiled, "Don't worry about a thing, I've got you." Fear lingered, but you felt a weak spark of reluctant trust.

Before you left, you wanted one last thing. "Liu, give me my knife."

The man frowned at you but leaned over to grab the blood crusted blade from one of the carts. He pocketed it much to your distaste. "Give me-"

"I don't want it to accidentally get you. Later." That fifteen-year-old, shaggy haired boy lectured you through a grown man's body. Memories of messing around in the kitchen together played in your mind. Liu always got so persnickety about how you held mom's nice kitchen knives. You cut your fingers on them more than once, and every time he got more strict.

You glanced at Jack, table half way through the door, "See you there?"

He solemnly sighed, "I can't see." Always the drama with him, even in times like this. 

Poor guy. "Be safe, Jack."

A black tendril quickly slithered out the bottom of his coat and found it's way to your shoulder. Pat, pat, "Don't die."

Rake lay cold and visibly stitched together like a voo-doo doll. That wasn't the friend you remembered at all. He was bouncy and full of life, his passing was too sudden and quick for it to feel real. But it was. Life was never peaches and strawberries, but fuck, Rake didn't deserve this even if this was for the better. The selfish part of you wished he was crawling along side you.

"I won't." You didn't have the guts to tell Jack anything else. 

Liu pushed the rest of the table through the door with a stumble and a grunt. He nearly fell on top of you which didn't help your increasing anxiety. Quickly steadying himself, Liu gave Jack a fast goodbye before carefully carting you through the deli. The place wasn't exactly table navigation friendly. No one expected for a cannibal god to set up shop back there in the first place. 

After a lot of forced pushing and a bit of lifting, Liu got the both of you out into the corridor. Looking up through the gap in the mall floor's, you could see smoke. Dark and heavy it rolled across the ceiling, leaking up and out of the broken rooftop windows. If you thought the back of the deli was hot, then out here was like a sauna. Luckily, you couldn't see too much of a dramatic flicker just yet. Getting from point A to B should be a dubiously safe cakewalk.

Liu pushed you along slowly, trying to hide how much effort moving you was taking. Guess getting blood taken out of him, took a lot out of him! 

"Alright, let's pray that we hit no bumps and have a nice 'n sm-"

**THUNK.**

You looked back at him, "Did we hit a bump?" 

He quietly lifted the back wheel out of a deep dirt ditch and kept going, "Maybe."

Stores under indeterminate lock down slowly passed by. Some barred shut, some open, some metal grates bent or torn by Jack's hands. Speaking of, "What'd he do to me?" 

"Jack?" You nodded, "Oh, I have no idea." Liu admitted, "To me, healing wounds has always been a simple two step process. Sanitize and cauterize." Hands and wrists bore little spots of warped and off color skin. You could absolutely tell, it was a wonder how he lived this long. "But! I'm very sure that you'll be okay."

"Sure, not complete one-hundred percent certainty?" 

Face scrunching up in thought, he replied, "I'm going to be transparent here and say that I _think_ he gave you inside stitches." 

"Inside whats?" Fear.

"Look, he talked a lot during the procedure and at least he didn't have the supplies or know-how to set an ostomy bag. That would have probably been a lot rougher, count your blessings."

All your blessings could be counted on one hand. Optimism and positivity were a little bit, way too fucking hard to grasp right about now and you were thinking about how it felt to stab Jeff. You felt like an animal in a cage, trapped paralyzed in your own body. You wanted to run out of here or find Jeff and finish the job. Movement, revenge, comfort, your friends back in the world of the living was all you wanted, but Jeff was the whole goddamn reason you were stuck like this. He was so close, a rash you couldn't scratch but no, here you were being carted around by his brother! Who's opinions hadn't probably changed. Though you didn't consider yourself a very violent or evil person, that grease ball brought out the very worst in you. Guess he got what he wanted, much to your displeasure.

Instead of screaming and trying to thrash about, you displayed some self control unlike Jeff. "Will do."

Liu observed you carefully before saying, "Do you know what an ostomy bag is?"

You (did/didn't) but decided to not respond as you tried to calm yourself. 

He assumed you didn't, "Imagine a bag that comes out of your stomach and it's how you _go."_

Just talk back, maybe this'll go by faster, "Can I eat?" 

What if the food escaped through a hole in your guts and got stuck somewhere it shouldn't? Would you need a feeding tube? Would Jack have to open you back up later to check on how you were healing? 

"Are you hungry right now?" The man lightly laughed, "We could stop by the food court, _heat something up_ if you want."

"It's on fire and there's no electricity." You deadpanned.

Liu's snicker was always quietly blown through his nose, a slight smile growing until he couldn't take it anymore and would burst out laughing. Days of careless cackling were long over, but seeing him sort of laugh was a decent change of pace. Almost made you want to join him in it, if you weren’t numb and sore in ways you didn’t think possible. 

"And I'm not hungry anyway. I'm numb and I'm kinda afraid of eating right now, _so."_ Your tone had moody written all over it. Understandable for someone with a stab wound.

"I felt the same way after that night." Heat wafted over the both of you and Liu slowed, hard swallowing terror to be your rock and keep pushing forward. "You should be okay eating, but that fear only goes away with time." Empathy was something you'd long forgotten Liu had. 

"Thanks." 

An almost peaceful lull in conversation was quickly destroyed by distant screaming. Jeff's hoarse voice incoherently squawked and rabbled. Close enough to hear was way too close. Your skin felt tighter and sweatier. 

Liu sighed, "I'm disappointed in him."

Jeff murdered their parents, disfigured him, slaughtered countless people indiscriminately, was an addict to many things, and a domestic abuser but setting one building on fire _was where Liu drew the line?_

You held your tongue.

Dancing shadows made an appearance at long last far above your head. The upstairs was getting worse by the second while the downstairs seemed mostly okay. Good for you but bad for the people you cared about.

_Please, don't roast alive guys._

"After everything I told you!" Jeff was finally decipherable. "You go and do _that!"_

"You stabbed me so your dibs don't mean shit!" Natalie nastily laughed, distinct pitter-patter growing louder with every word. 

Sounded like they were talking about you. Not good with Liu right behind you, ear turned toward the second floor.

_"Get back here and fight me!"_ The ceiling rattled under his heavy footfalls. Closer.

"I got places to be, girls to fuck, you know how it is!" Natalie managed to make you blush even from a hundred feet away, what a catch. "Oh wait, _no you don't!"_

 _"WHORE!"_ Jeff sounded like a demon ripping itself right out of hell. If he got his hands on Nat she'd be nothing but a meaty paste.

"What is this middle school!? Call me a slur like a man!"

The two zoomed into your vision, upper torsos visible over the gritty guardrail. Natalie had a good distance on Jeff but not enough for your liking. Green jacket's back sliced open and dyed red with blood. He got her the same way she got you when you met. Felt like so long ago, even weirder was you rooting for her to get away.

_"DUMB CUNT!"_

Jeff looked like shit, as usual. This time snot caked his flat upper lip and his hoodie had new shades of red. Sausage-linked arm having somewhat healed, just hardly holding up an entire gallon of gasoline, shoulder used as a stabilizer. Sporadically tipping it back and letting the yellow liquid slap on the floor behind him. No wonder the stuff was spreading so quick through the upstairs. You told him you hated him here, you kissed Natalie here, he got stabbed here. In his head, this place needed to burn as fast and violently as possible.

Is that who Liu wanted you to live unhappily ever after with? Someone that vindictive, vile, abusive, and so pungently rank that you could smell him from a floor away?

"That's me, baby!"

Nat glanced over the wall and smiled at you. Calling down to you would only bring Jeff to throw himself down here and give chase. She was smarter than that, she wanted to protect you. By osmosis, you just knew that she wouldn't directly reference your name and the whole making out thing. You think she winked just before she disappeared from view though it could have been one of her normal blinks.

"What did she do?" Liu thought aloud as he pushed you around the dirty old water fountain from Natalie's many still-life's.

If you could shrug, you would, "Nat just being Nat, I guess."

He eyed you curiously, "She lets you call her that?"

Fuck. You forgot how stingy she could be with the nickname.

"Ah, yeah. After that night-" It was your turn to shiver and try to forget the echoing screams of a long dead loved one. "She started being nicer to me, let's me use it sometimes," more like all the time, "I think we're friends?" Earlier this morning you tongue fucked.

"Hm, thought you were closer." Liu was smart, watchful, you'd give him that. It was terrifying that he just may be onto you. He was fully aware of the wide divide between the both of you but he'd been rather non-nonchalant about it. "I'm glad you've got plenty of forgiveness in your heart. We should talk about that sometime." 

Jeff. He wants to talk about Jeff. How great he could be, so much better than Nat. Like hell that crust-tonged nutjob would ever be a better kisser than her. 

You didn't acknowledge the conversational prompt.

The ride was bumpy and too slow for comfort. But, eventually you both got to Toys-R-Us. Smoke had wafted into the downstairs and the temperature rose beyond belief but fire hadn't touched either of you. Hacking and coughing though the deteriorating toy store was the only real issue beside the growing threat of the ceiling caving in. 

Liu took his time though. Poor guy was about ready to collapse by the time you passed by the stairs. The steps were roaring as fallen toys burned upon them. Smelled like melted plastic and hot metal, horrible. Your eyes and lungs stung, you could only imagine what it'd be like to be upstairs. Hopefully the girls were outside already. 

Pots and pans clinked, clanged, and shook as Liu pushed the table though the opening doors. You took a loud breath of fresh, clean September air. Free at last.

Liu let out a shaky, "Thank God." 

Safety was welcome but it felt too easy. To get away from Jeff was a taxiing feat for you always so to be rolled out without a problem was concerning. Natalie taking the heat in your place didn't feel good but man, were you tired of fighting today.

Relief flooded your stomach when you saw Jane by the car. Black tote bags hung from her elbows like a teenager on a shopping spree. Definitely couldn't resist grabbing more than just her laptop. Fashion came over safety.

Jane perked up at the sight of your rolling approach. "Good, I don't have to hunt you down." Contempt was the first thing you noticed in her tone. Understandable given the circumstances. "Speed it up, it's fucking awful out here." 

You rolled your eyes back and looked over Liu's shoulder. Fire peaked through open cracks in the walls, crackling and letting out a massive black pillar of smoke into the afternoon sky. The place looked like hell had teleported into the real world. There goes your literal home. With any luck, your metaphorical home, the rest of the gang, wouldn't go down with it.

Liu unlocked the back doors first. Jane threw her things behind the driver's seat then was immediately at your side. Her strong arms sliding under your back and head felt so wonderful after everything that'd happened today. She held you tenderly but so did Liu so your belly wouldn't have to move too much. They snippily directed one another to do this or that and eventually, you were in the van. Laid comfortably on Liu's bed with multiple pillows stacked under your head. 

Job done, Jane finally rested a hand on your shoulder and said, "I'm glad you're alright." Over her shoulder she barked, "You. Give me the keys, you look terrible." Duality was a terrifying thing.

Liu knew she was right, he was pale, hands shaking, and needed a long while of rest. "Sure." 

Jane didn't thank him when he handed over the keys. "I'll drive as smoothly as I can, (Y/n)." Then she switched again, "Don't let her roll off the bed."

"Sure." Liu distantly repeated, head lulling forward.

"Good." Jane hopped out the back of the van and rounded to the driver's side door. You heard her muttering about her lost mattress as she climbed into her seat and buckled up. Control was something she greatly lacked through the entire ordeal, Jane was going to take it back any possible way that she could.

You couldn't help but ask, "Have the others called you at all?" 

"Not yet but don't worry, Nat and Jack can handle themselves." She reassured, centering the car's mirror and showing off a growing dark dot. "Speak of the devil." 

Jack came out the same way you and Liu did. Except he had that massive trunk from his room hauled over his shoulder. Seeing the giant man slouching was an experience. Six foot was a lot different than seven. 

How did he plan to get that thing inside the van? It'd crush you all. 

Jane was thinking the very same thing, "What the hell are you-"

He stopped in front of the open back doors, straightened up, and heaved the box up and over his head. 

**_THUNK!_**

The car violently rattled under the sudden weight on it's roof and was temporarily lower to the ground.

_"EXCUSE ME!?"_ Jane exclaimed, popping her door open and leaning out of the car to gawk. "How do you expect us to drive with that thing up there!?"

"You just drive normally." Jack deadpanned, pulling thick black ropes from his pocket. He got to work on securing his possessions to the car's roof like deer's body on a hunter's car.

Jane sighed and got back in the car. "What's even in there?"

"Samples, clothes, et cetera." Jack climbed inside, stepping over Liu's exhausted form and nestling his large body near your head. He could just hardly fit to sit on the floor.

You didn't think he'd stuff Rake in a box like that. "Where is-"

"I left Rake inside." Jack solemnly admitted, "I didn't want **him** to have any chance of bringing him back. Rake doesn't deserve that." 

Letting his friend be buried in asbestos, drywall, and mold wasn't ideal. It had to have been an incredibly hard call for Jack. "That's really big of you." 

He gently clutched something in his fist, smoothing his thumb over it for comfort. "No, I just think it's time I stopped being so selfish."

You were at mostly a loss for words, "I'm sorry, man. I know he'd appreciate it."

"Yeah." Jack's emotional and mental energy had run out.

The fire hadn't run out of fuel at all. Plenty left to go for hours and hours. Trees sounding the place were taking to the flame nicely. You could already hear distant firetruck sirens. Instead of hope, they filled you with dread. You didn't want the gang to get caught, not now. Hell, maybe even ever.

_"FUCKING GET BACK HERE!"_

Natalie burst around the side building, netted hammock fashioned into a sack tucked under her armpit. She was coughing, patting out lit embers in her hair, and bleeding from her cheek but she still managed a grin. Knives clutched in either hand, edges bloody but nowhere near as coated at Dahmer. 

Jeff was on right on her tail. Natalie may have had speed but her stamina was starting to run out. Her pursuer had plenty, even if he was coughing up on his blackened lungs. Red gas tank still on his shoulder, liquid messily sloshing out of it's nozzle behind him. A trail of fire licked up the fuel and followed the two at an alarming speed.

"Start the car!" She shouted, untied laces threatening to trip her up any second. All you could do was watch and feel adrenaline rush and dread build.

_"Don't trip!"_ Was the first thing you thought to say to her. 

"Thanks ba-" Couldn't be too obvious in front of Liu, "Ma minouchette!"

Liu didn't even blink at her, he was much more focused on Jeff. 

The engine turned loudly as Jane flipped the gear into drive and waited. "Come on!" She aggressively cheered her partner on, "Get in here already!"

_"Die!"_ Jeff reeled his knife back before letting it fly.

"One sec, I'm kinda-" Nat ducked just in the nick of time. Dahmer flew right over her head, cutting through the center of her fuax hawk. "Busy!" Jeff's knife rolled to the ground a few feet from the van. Just a harder flick of the wrist and it would have gotten inside. Probably would have brained one of you.

Nat pushed herself to sprint through the homestretch. Landing hard at the foot of your bed, face almost as red as her back. "Go!"

Jane pushed the pedal to the medal. The car slowly rolled forward, Jack's trunk and everybody's weight slowed the vehicle down. "God damn it." She snarled, stomp, stomp, stomping her heal into the gas but it made no difference. You were all doomed to a dangerously slow start.

If anyone wanted Jeff dead, it was Jack. Attempting to stand, he slid his back up the wall, intending to do something but his legs got stuck. The situation was far too serious to laugh but he was forced into a crunched hovering sit. Shins pressing hard against your mattress, large body stuffed too firm into the corner. Unrelenting, Jack did his best to get unstuck but it was clear he'd be there awhile.

Jeff was almost to the car, his eye dead set on Nat's necks. "You're not getting away that easy!"

Natalie was utterly exhausted, just peeling herself off the bed looked like a strenuous effort. You couldn't do shit, nobody could. Safest and smartest choice was to run, tail between your legs and wait for your next encounter. Scheming like Team Rocket in the mean time to try and catch the bastard. The thought of looking after the man baby again was an awful one.

Liu pulled himself up with his bolted down dresser. Glancing at the swinging picture frame of three young smiling faces scraping the car wall. It grated your ears and you were nearly about to have a meltdown over it. Flatly frowning, he stepped over Natalie's legs to the back of the car.

His brother's grimy hand snatched one of the open back doors as the car rolled faster. Legs staggering as he struggled to keep up with the increasing speed but Jeff was not deterred. Other hand abandoning the gasoline to grapple onto a notch in the door. One of his legs swinging up to the lip of the car's back step. "I am going to fucking get you!" Heaving, he struggled to lift himself in further. 

Bloodshot blue landed on Liu and in a time stopping moment of terror, Jeff held out his hand and begged, "Hey big bro, how about you help a guy out?"

Your heart dropped as Liu raised his hand. Firmly clasping his knobby fingers around Jeff's stubby palm. 

"Don't you fucking dare!" Jane and Natalie unanimously shouted. Jack couldn't do a damn thing, tendril's limited to his pinned back. 

"That's more like it." He sneered, swinging leg number two onto the lip, hand letting go of the door.

But Liu didn't pull him up, he just let Jeff dangle. "I think you and (Y/n) need some time apart."

_No fucking way_ , you thought as you watched Liu reel his leg back.

"WHAT!?"

"I think you need to spend some time apart." Cold blooded and coldly staring his little brother down, Liu's grip loosened. Leg suddenly springing forward, knee landing in the center of Jeff's chest. He ripped his hand away and watched Jeff be thrown into the gravel road. Landing hard with a tumble all the way back to where he started. 

Jane had never whooped and hollered louder. Jack sort of smiled but he definitely wanted to be the one to put Jeff in his place. Liu readjusted his scarf and dusted off his knee. 

"Holy shit!" Natalie marveled, "What was that?" 

You couldn't believe your eyes and neither could Jeff. The one person still alive he thought he had a complete hold on, his only family, and only person left who still loved him, told him no. 

Jeff shakily forced himself up, grabbing the now capless and leaking can of gasoline from the ground. 

"Just go home, there's no need-"

He cut Liu off and rose the can over his head. _"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"_

"Oh my god, _please."_ Jane unsubtly whispered.

Betrayed in every single way, Jeff didn't seem to see a point anymore. A statement, big, loud, and unproud is what he wanted. Everybody had to know how bad he was hurting, maybe then he'd squeeze some sympathy out of you. But you felt for Natalie far more than him. Despite the fact that he screamed and wailed as he dumped gasoline over his head, your opinion didn't change. Yellow chemicals seeped into shallow cuts and whetted his dry eyes. You could almost feel his agony in his scream.

Fire jumped from gas puddle to gas puddle, excited to burn another piece of garbage. An amber landed on his pants and suddenly he was a human pillar of flame letting out a blood curdling screech. 

Liu scrambled to shut the doors, the gang safe and Jeff having become a dot in the long parking lot. A horrible ring suddenly crescendoed in your ears. You couldn't hear anything else but judging by the cringes, hands on ears, and the car starting to swerve, you weren't alone. 

**He** popped up behind the fleshy inferno. Taller than anybody you'd ever seen, even Jack. It had no face. Just white skin pilled over the vague idea of a human skull. Reminded you of Rake but not in a warm, fuzzy way. None of your mental mock-ups lived up to the intensity of seeing the big boss for real. Your ears rung and skin painfully prickled like a hornets nest had been realized inside of you. If you could move, you would have scratched you eyes out.

**His** hand didn't move but it was somehow on Jeff's shoulder. **Him** , Jeff and the fire that engulfed him disappeared into thin air. 

The ringing and tingling stopped. Shock, terror, and sudden car sickness was all you could process until Liu loudly slammed the back doors shut. His back slamming onto the wall, sliding down with a squeal as exhaustion took him. Natalie laid herself across your legs, opened up her sack, pulled out the charred giraffe and clutched it tight. Jack forced his muscles to relax, ass plopping onto the floor with a car shaking _thud!_ Jane turned out the parking lot, she didn't turn the radio on the entire time. You were so exhausted.

**\----**

"Sit still." Jack annoyedly demanded.

"But I have to pee!" His patient whined. 

"This'll take a few more minutes, hold it."

You could practically hear Liu's scowl, "You've made enough of a mess. Knock over anything else and I'm coming back there." _Click._

"Turn the safety back on or I'm stopping the car." Not like stopping would be much of a problem, there was nowhere to go. 

You'd been awake for some time now, enduring their bickering as you tried to mentally gather yourself. All that and it was only three in the afternoon. After Jane speed passed some firetrucks and passed New Brunswick's' city limit. She pulled the car to the side of the road. It was hard to fall asleep with her ass in your face as she tried to pull Jack up after he got stuck again. Liu migrated to the passenger seat while Natalie took her shirt off and didn't bother to cover up. You weren't surprised at all that she wasn't wearing a bra, you could see her nipple piercings though her shirt half the time. Liu threw a first aid kit in back from his glove box and Jack got to work. At least Jane made sure you were still alive before getting back in front.

"Only if she cleans up all of her blood." Liu argued. 

Nat had thirty-two stitches and counting so far on her back. Everytime Jack gave her one, she laughed a little. Sometimes you forgot she was a sadomasochistic murderer who thought getting beat up was kinda funny. Not to mention the way she puffed out her chest with pride being your protector and all. 

"Consider it done." She waved him off over her shoulder. "Now do as the hot lady said and turn off your gun."

He snorted but obliged, "You don't just turn off a gun." 

"Sorry, couldn't hear over the sound of you turning off your gun."

"God give me strength." Liu groaned, rubbing his eyes. 

Everyone was stressing about re-homing. You were sure Jane was about to sprout a gray hair over it. Her poor, poor mattress and heaps of clothes she had to leave behind would forever be mourned. Even though you could have sworn all those tote bags held literally every piece of clothing she owed. Natalie lost a few nice pencils and nice jacks and when she complained about it, Jack shut her down hard with a, "Yeah well, I lost my best friend _and_ my garden." She shut up after that. For a few minutes.

You almost forgot about that awkward mound of dirt on the roof. Jack went up there often to take care of his babies. He never talked much agriculture with you but he must have known a lot. Definitely sucked to have all that work be burnt with his besties body.

Where could you go that'd fit five people for free? Money was sort of an issue and Jack was fucking gray and had big, scary, monster teeth. Okay, actually his teeth were super cool but you'd never tell him that.

What no one talked about was the big cheese popping up out of nowhere and taking Jeff. Curiosity, fear, and a need to know if that was a cryptid, were killing you. 

"Hey guys, so what was that?"

The car got quiet. 

Jack pulled another stitch through Natalie's back before he sighed, "You're not dumb, you know who it was." 

"Wish I didn't," you humorlessly laughed, "but I wanna know how that thing got Jeff. I thought **he** ," shudder, "couldn't come anywhere near you."

" **He** can. Usually chooses not to since I can't be controlled anymore. But if you mean the disappearing thing, he got out of my range." Some part of Jack must be semi-relieved to finally be outside the mall for the first time in forever.

"Quit beating around the bush." Natalie grunted, "That twink only comes around for two reasons and that's if you fucked up or if you're fired."

Joy overlayed Jane's tone, "Do you think he's-"

"No," Natalie said, " **He** took him because **he** didn't want something to happen."

You stared blankly at the slightly caved in car roof, "Almost quit, didn't he?" 

Dread swam around your stitched guts. If all that was him still tethered to something in charge of him, imagine what he'd do when he got let go. Maybe keeping him leashed was a good thing. Unfortunately, you had a job to do even if you never wanted to see him again. He'd find you again sooner or later, he'd hurt you, and you might not be so lucky. Execution was so close but so far away and you didn't know to be frustrated or afraid. 

"That's what I'm thinking." Serious was an odd look on Natalie. 

"Good." Jane chirped, "Next time we'll have to do all that better." 

"Better? Are you kidding me?" Liu scoffed, "All of us could have gotten killed and you want to put us through that _again?"_

"Well, it wouldn't be exactly the same but more or less it's what worked." After everything Jane had went through, a little pain from other people probably didn't seem like much of a price.

"Absolutely not. Next time we see him, _no one_ gets hurt. Especially not (Y/n)." He pointed at you for emphasis, angle earring swinging as if it was ranting right along with him. _"And,_ I think you'd appreciate if you and your friend's," air quotes, " _'house'_ didn't get burned down again."

Gloves groaned as they tightened around the steering wheel. "Don't you _ever_ talk to me like that."

Liu curled his lips back in a snarl, "I'll talk to you however I want. You know I'm right, stop deflecting and feel some humility for once."

_"Humility!?"_ She cackled, "I'm the most selfless person in the car!" You mentally prepared yourself for her to spout on and on about her mission and how hard it was, how brave and strong she is, how everyone else in the world is a goddamn coward. All of you were just her sidekicks and nothing else.

"Selfless people don't talk about themselves like that." He simply tutted. You would join in and give your two cents, actually side with Liu on something, but you were exhausted in every single way. A long heated debate could wait. "Anyway," Liu seemed to read your mind, stiffly smiling back at you and continuing, "where are we going?"

Jane was shaking in her seat, hardly containing herself from exploding on everybody. And then, she exhaled long and hard. "I think I might have a place for us to stay but it's a long shot." You could hear the barely contained rage in her voice.

"Why's that?" Jack asked just as he officially finished knitting up Natalie.

"People might be there. I don't know if she still-" Jane stopped herself and did set of breathing exercises just like your own, "It's in Maryland. If that doesn't work out then we're probably gonna have to live in this tin can for awhile." 

Not to be ungrateful but this tiny thing with five people was a recipe for disaster. Please, you internally begged, please have heating.

"Turn on your GPS and let's hit the road already." Nat cheerily urged as Jack slapped some bandages onto her back.

"Get settled first." Jane pulled her phone from her dress pocket and started typing in an address.

Natalie went to migrate back to your lap but Jack put a hand on her shoulder and forced her down. "Let me cudd-" Her eyes fell on the back of Liu's head, "Let me lay down, my back hurts ahaha."

"Of course it does." Jack deadpanned, "Also, put your shirt back on."

Not to be wierd but was it bad that you were kinda maybe staring a little. Natalie was just interesting to look at. From her soft abs to her defined collarbone to her breasts. You weren't wierd, the black barbell piercings just automatically caught your eye. Same color as her mouth stiches, talk about consistency. Not your fault that you noticed how perky they were. If you had the courage you would tell her very respectfully that she had nice boobs. 

Nat picked her jacket off the floor while Liu dully reminded her to clean up. She made sure to look you in the eye and smirk. Caught red-handed, not that she seemed to mind. Throwing the jacket over her shoulders a little wider than normal, zipping it up real slow and stopping way lower than normal. Interesting. Very interesting. You were blushing like an idiot and you knew it. If anyone asked, you were having a hot flash.

She climbed onto the bed and laid herself across your legs. Hand thrown in her sack, quickly emerging to gently throw a little plushie at you. It landed in the crux of your armpit. A teddy bear holding a big red heart with a stitched on gash and X's on it's cheeks stared at you with it's button eyes. One of them a clock torn out of a watch. Jane definitely made this. 

Teddy bear? More like Natty bear. "Is this you?" 

"Yea, figured you need it since I-" She looked at the back of Liu's head, can't talk about wanting to get on top of you. "Since you just uh- seem to need it." And someone sitting a little too close to your fresh stitches might reopen them. 

"Thank you, that's very," sweet, considerate, lovely, "polite of you." Liu didn't suspect a thing. Hopefully.

"No problem." She relaxed fully into your legs. 

Everyone was finally settled. Jane put the car into drive and pulled back onto the road.

**\----**

White noise from tires on tarmac lulled you in and out of sleep. Jane kept her road rage to a minimum so everyone could sleep through the ride. According to Natalie's eye, it was about six in the afternoon. Sun was starting to set over the highway, soaking everything in a golden orange. Everything felt dreamy in your long state of transition.

You couldn't seem to fall back asleep. Nightmares plagued you the past few time you'd dozed off. Each time you jolted awake, you thought Jeff was sitting right beside you. It was just Jack. His eyes were open but they always were, you didn't even know if he could blink. He'd been quiet for a long time now, you _thought_ he was asleep like everybody else. Save for Jane she was hopped up on a black coffee ordered from Starbucks with Liu's money while he sleeping. 

"Hey." 

You jumped an inch off your bed in shock. Nat groaned in her sleep, cuddled into your shins and settled. You mumbled back, "Hi?"

Jack had turned his head to 'look' at you. Even though it didn't affect how he saw, he always made somewhat of an effort to appear more normal. You didn't know why. 

He brought his hand beside your face, fingers unfurling around a shiny pin. "This is yours, take it."

Shock made you forget basic manners, "Huh, I thought that you would have left it."

"I know these things mean a lot to you." An unreadable look crossed his face, "Rake would have wanted you to have it back."

Playing fetch with him and a sparkly Fresno Nightcrawler felt like so long ago. You wondered where he ended up stashing that thing and all the stolen jewelry Jane occasionally complained about. Jersey wasn't the shiniest pin in the world but maybe Rake would have kept it if he lived. That fleshy little guy was sweet and would have gladly accepted it. Didn't feel right to take back a gift and it was symbolic of change to you. Of his belief in you, of becoming closer to everybody, and a little bit of eye-stabbing violence to boot. 

"Keep it." Jack was strong in a lot of ways but his emotional invulnerability was a major weakness in your eyes. He needed some kindness, some change, even if he was far from the nicest monster man around. Not just for your own goals of getting Liu to back down but because it was just the better thing to do. The highroad still existed with him and you were going to take it. "You need it more than I do."

At first, Jack looked surprised, perplexed even but then he smiled, _really smiled._ Lips slightly parted so you could see fangs upon fangs but for once, you weren't intimidated. Within a few seconds the pin was fasted onto his jacket, right above his left peck. His heart. 

"Thanks."

Things got quiet after that. Despite the kindness, a nice repport between you two would take some time and a lot of awkward ice breaking. Something that neither of you had the mental energy for.

You happily listened to Jane sneer, "Nice job not using your blinker, asshole." Because at the very least, she was alive, you all were alive. It's a fucking miracle all you scarred, bloodthirsty, nutcases made it this far in life. Even with Jeff violently burning the bridge between you, bridges like Liu's could still be built. All it'd take was a little team effort.


	37. 36 - Fort Hot Bitches

**Content warning: There will be NSFW in this chapter. It will be marked before and after the scene so it can be skipped. Outside of the NSFW there will be some suggestive scenes. Nit, this is for you bbg.**

You woke up from a comfortably dreamless sleep feeling warm and cozy. Jack's proximity wasn't so bad when he was a walking talking radiator. Rain softly pitter-pattered against the van's metal roof accompanied by the soft pop of the driver's side door. Jane climbed back into the car, rousing the rest of the gang with a, "Wake up, we're almost there."

"Gooooood morning." Natalie yawned, stretching her arms over her head.

"Stop that, you're going to reopen your stitches." Jack nagged.

She huffed, arms slumping at her sides, "Booo."

If Jack had eyes, he'd roll them. "Sorry I care about your health."

Natalie gasped, "You care!?"

"I don't want to re-do your entire back."

She snickered, lightly jabbing at him with her foot, "You care about meeee."

There it was again, his smile, this time less noticeable but it was there. Soft and nonthreatening. "You wish."

"Quiet back there." Liu drowsily groaned.

"No." Nat brattily retorted, giving you a sunshine smile that made you feel a whole lot warmer. He scoffed but was too drained to threaten her life over being a pest. 

"Say Jane, where'd you go?" You raspily mumbled, fingers feeling along Natty-bears coarse fuzz.

"Needed to open the gate." She replied, putting the gear into drive and continuing down a tree lined path. Masked eyes observed you in the rear view, reading your mind like an open book, "Private property, can't have just anybody wandering in."

"Wait Janey, is this _the_ place?" Natalie's eye lit up with excitement.

"Yes but don't get your hopes up. It's possible that people may be there."

Rain pelted down on the roof harder by the second. A quick flash of white blinded you followed by a rolling boom. 

Time tick-tocked by and soon enough, Liu was marveling, "Whoa, this place is huge."

"You should see the inside." 

He turned to the driver, "Why didn't we come here earlier?"

Jane sighed, "It's like I said-"

"But what if we checked earlier if there weren't people?" He interrupted.

Natalie balled her fists and made a sour face at the back of Liu's seat. 

The car rolled to a stop as Jane explained, "I didn't want Jeff to know about this place." That rat could come stomping onto these sacred grounds any second now. "But, we don't have anywhere else to go so, sit tight, I'm going to check around." With that, the driver's side door popped open and she dissapeared into the pounding rain. 

"Should we follow her?" Jack readied himself to get up.

Natalie absently popped her knuckles. "Nah, she's gonna need a sec to take it in, ya'know?"

You were a little lost on the idiom, "Do you mean to check around or?" 

She shrugged, "I dunno too, too much 'bout this place but her aunt's beach house was super important to her growing up."

Your eyes went wide, _"Beach house?"_

Nat snickered, "With a private beach and a pier, I might add."

"It's fall." Liu deadpanned, "Not like we'll get to do anything out there."

"Not if you're a pussy." Nat sneered, hand coming up to pat you on the thigh, "You'll come out and take a long walk on the beach with me, won't you (Y/n)?"

Liu looked around the back of his seat with an eyebrow skeptically raised. You forced a laugh as if the romantic connotations were an inside joke.

_Her like you? You like her? Never in a million years, you're just gal pals!_

Jack almost laughed. "She got stabbed this morning and you want to go on a walk?" 

"Yes and?"

"You can't, she needs to rest and be careful to not reopen-"

"Yeah, yeah, no eyes, I geddit." Nat waved him off, "I can wait."

You smiled at them both, "When I can, I'd like to."

"We'll see." Jack hummed.

The wet mass of black hair that popped into the car nearly made you shriek before it spoke, "Place is empty." Poor lady had to be soaked to the bone. Jane dangled a single key between her pointer and thumb. "Let's get inside already. Oh and, if any of you mess the place up," her thumb suddenly slid slowly over her jugular, "understood?"

You nodded with a nervous gulp. Natalie was far more enthusiastic, "Ooh, and what else would you do to me?"

"Ugh." Liu hopped out of his seat and into the rain.

Nat stood and opened up the back doors just as Liu arrived at them. "You're coming inside? Thought you liked living like a sardine?"

He scoffed and started to climb inside, "If there's room, sure. Car's nice but I haven't slept in a house in a long time and it'd be nice."

"The mall was like a house." She rebutted, slinging her sack over the shoulder.

"I wasn't going to lower myself to sleeping in _that."_

"Holy shit, you're a baby." You really had come full circle. Months ago Nat called you that in that same condescending tone, but now it was Liu's turn to be the butt of Nat's badgering.

"There's room for us all." Jane appeared from the open back door. "Now Nat, be a dear and help me with my things."

"She has thirty-six stitches." Jack protested while Natalie was happily passing Jane half her bags and carrying the rest herself.

"Oh _puh-lease,_ I'm fine." The car wobbled as she hopped out the back to join Jane in the rain. Quickly kissing the cheek of her mask before the two ran to throw Jane's bags inside. "We'll be right back, just gon put this stuff in front!"

Liu shoveled things from his bolted down dresser into his arms. "Once I get everything from there I'll get you." He said, jumping into the rain and running out of sight. 

Jack got up slowly, careful not to get stuck again.

What were you, chopped liver? You got that a new place was exciting, but come on. You wanted to get out there, stretch your legs, hop, skip, and jump inside. Sucked that you were bed bound and couldn't even see the house yet.

The car popped back up once Jack untied and unmounted the trunk from it's roof. But, he didn't leave. Standing with the trunk held above his head to protect his perfect hair swoop from being ruined by the rain. 

"You're not going like everyone else?" You were a little let down that the others so readily left, but you knew they'd be back. His staying felt like a show of good faith. Maybe that long due punishment of peeling you like an apple wasn't going to happen after all. 

Jack looked perplexed, "Why would I leave you alone again?" 

Jane and Nat jogged back into view, not coming for you but for Jane to get the rest of her things. The butch stayed behind, Jane's hair dripping inside of the van while Jack went to go put his things inside. She grumbled at you about how bad the rain was for her skin and hair. The next week may or may not be filled with her dealing with humid fuzz.

Nat and Liu came back bickering. You honestly had no idea what about, they just hated each other so much they could fight about anything. Jane got involved and soon enough they were nothing but a rabble of noise. 

Noise that made your situation a whole lot worse. Cold wind blew over you, the rain got louder, your routine was ruined, Rake was dead, everyone was so wrapped up in petty bullshit that they hadn't taken you inside. Jack's steps shook the car, louder, louder, _louder_.

Your hands flew up to your ears, eyes screwing shut as you desperately screeched _, "SHUT UP!"_

Nature stopped for no man but a band of murderous bitches would, all for you. 

Liu quietly mumbled something to the trio. Jane piped up a little louder, "No, I'll take her in."

"I'm the fastest." Natalie argued.

"I'm the strongest." Jack rebutted.

You pressed your hands harder into your ears. Two arms came carefully under you, Natty-bear's plush rump was thrown into your lap right before you were lifted. You just couldn't unscrew your face, even breathing felt like it was loud and painful. Luckily, someone leaned their body over your head so you wouldn't have to deal with uncomfortable wetness.

Air unheated but far warmer than the outside hit your flesh. A few steps more and the droplets stopped hitting your legs. In and out, breath, it's okay, you'll get used to this. Just take everything one step at a time. 

You opened your eyes. Liu hovered over you, water soaked into his curly locks. "You alright?"

"Not really." 

He sighed, "Thought so. I apologize again for bringing those people into your life. All they do is bicker amongst themselves. Sometimes I wish it was just us." 

You didn't.

"Not happening." Jane spat as she stomped inside. 

"Sadly." Liu added stiffly, much to your displeasure.

Anything that wasn't directly in front of you was out of sight. Side effect of coming on a dark and stormy night.

Jane tightly hummed, heels clicking as she made her way across the room. Somehow not tripping in the blackness. 

_Flick!_

Light flooded into your dilated irises. Rapidly blinking the mild pain away, you were met with a foyer. 

"Holy shit, electricity?" Natalie marveled for all of you.

Unoffensive, unremarkable pictures hung from the sandy walls, light oak floors were uncarpeted and dusty. Antique shelves leaned against the walls, housing china, glass vases, and a doohickeys alike. To your right, a doorless opening, to your left, the same. A tall staircase sat in the dead center of the room, leading straight up to a door lined hallway. 

"I'll turn the heating on once we get the rest of my things upstairs." Better and better. 

"This place really is the whole package, huh?" Nat continued, eye landing on the depths of the right opening, " _Is that a kitchen?!_ "

"Knew you'd like that," Jane laughed into her hand before hauling totes onto her shoulder. 

Jack lightly stomped, careful not to knock anything over, "Other one's a living room, right?"

"Yeah, leads into a sun room. There's a bathroom over there too if anyone needs it."

"Oh, there's a bathroom in my room." Jack paused, foot on the first stair, "I took the biggest one by the way."

"You took the master bedroom!?" Jane barked while menacingly kicking off her heels. 

"I'm the biggest."

"I was planning on using the tub in there but _ew._ " 

"Being a God isn't contagious, sorry." 

"Whatever. Just don't muck it up."

Black goop had already been forming a little puddle on the floor at Jack's feet. You could only imagine what his bed sheets would look like in a few hours.

The kitchen light flipped on and Natalie almost sobbed. Her cheap bowls and campfire cookware had all been lost to the fire. Tools and pots hung from the wall and from the island alike, an amateur chef's paradise. 

You heard the sink start to blast. "Plumbing too! What does this place not have!?" Natalie moaned.

"Be sure not to use too much power, I don't want her noticing." Aunt, you'd guess. 

"Just enough to get by, got it." Liu started on the first step, careful to not tip you any which way.

Nat blabbered, "Other than rats and homophobic graffiti."

Jack's expression soured at the mention of rats. Bones grinding between needly teeth had become your alarm clock for such a long time. You could only imagine how long he'd heard the same noise day after day.

He swallowed back his vulnerability, "Walls are walls to me."

"I bring you here, risk the place, and that's what you've got to say?" Jane planted a hand on either hip, uh-oh.

"I think it's nice." You mumbled.

"I'm sure it's lovely. Anyway, you," he pointed at Liu, "get that one into a room."

"On it."

"Take the third on the right, no draft in there." You tilted your head to ask Jane how she knew that, but the moment your eyes met, she snapped, "Get going already."

Liu lumbered up the stairs. He stepped into a long, carpeted hallway. Door number three opened up with minimal creek. A clicky switch buzzed a ceiling light to life. First thing you noticed was a dresser, tall, black, and decorated with expired tubes of mascara, dark lipgloss, and dry nail polish bottles. The walls were painted a peeling purple and wooden floors covered by a thick black carpet. Far outside the beachy aesthetic of the rest of the house. Open closet doors revealed an array of dark sweatshirts, skirts, and swimsuits. Nightstand, bed frame, and sheets followed a similar pattern, dark, slightly cluttered, and very dusty. It screamed Jane's teenage lesbian angst.

You were gently placed on the most comfortable bed you've ever laid upon. Beside the layer of lint and dust floating around after Liu whipped the sheets and pillows around. A proper bed was a proper bed, you couldn't find much to complain about. Happily stimming as you got comfortable. 

Jack ducked under the doorway, "You can go, I'll watch her overnight."

Liu had settled himself into a plush chair and seemed intent on staying there. "My eyes work just fine, I'll do it."

Jack huffed out an unamused laugh, "And I almost have a degree in medicine, get out."

The seated man's face stiffened, tinting redder by the second. But there's no use in trying to fight someone godlier than himself. Standing tall, Liu spat, _"Fine._ But I better not hear about you stealing anything." You didn't like that worried look he gave you. 

"My ice bath days are long behind me." Jack said a little too casually like organ thievery was a goofy idea. You'd always seen him with whole bodies and never a chilled kidney. Honestly, his comment was a little funny instead of bone shakingly terrifying. You found it hard to fear for your life with him at the moment. Strange. 

Liu balled his fists before sharply huffing out his nose and storming out. Shoulder harshly bumping on Jack's side as he went. 

A sharp nail pointed itself at, "You, rest now."

"What about you?" 

"Go to sleep." 

Jack awkwardly settled into the chair far too small for himself. The skin below his eyes was tinted by black residue at all times. Today, they looked darker. It'd been a long, exhausting day for all of you. 

**\----**

You don't know why Jack laughed when you said yes to getting a little bell. It made enough sense to you, and it was a lot more pleasant than yelling for someone to come and help you walk to the bathroom. Your legs felt fine and you knew how to pace yourself, sure it'd been almost a week since you almost got gutted, but you were fine! The gang was just being fussy! 

And no, you wouldn't take food in all the terrifying ways Jack said were possible. You'd take your stomach aches and two capsules of ibuprofen, thank you very much. You also turned down his cup idea. In your day, you'd done a nasty thing here or there, but you would not pee in a fucking cup and give it to him to dispose of. 

One perk of having Jack changing your bandages every evening was his hands. Warm, relaxing, and sometimes ticklish when his nails softly grazed across your stomach. Sometimes when the wound pulsed and ached, you'd feel cold, terrified. But he always came, did medical mumbo jumbo then you'd be fine. 

Weirdest thing was, sometimes you thought you heard purring. Soft, muffled, like something was trying to suppress it. You always thought you were hearing things, distantly remembering Rake and trying not to weep about it. It only happened when Jack was in the room, one of his big brain intellectual books playing from his phone. Always stopping when you asked him if he heard it too.

Weird was one way to describe it, but awkward too. How does one go about trying to be friendlier or even be friends with someone who threatened to eviscerate you multiple times? Did this count as an apology? Taking something out of you and dealing with the medical repercussions was way too much to do for someone you wanted to eat, he had to see that. Jack had always been kind of okay when he wasn't on his high horse, funny, witty even, but still unlikable. Now that you were forced to interact in a semi-positive-mostly-awkward manner on a daily basis though, Jack was starting to be less of a shithead in your eyes. One that you'd never bring yourself to fully forgive, but someone you wouldn't mind quietly having coffee with.

Did he feel your relationship shifting too?

Other visitors and prickly caretakers consisted of Ezekiel and a bible he found, Natalie and her sketchbook, and Jane but only at ungodly hours. She told you not to worry while testing your window lock. You always did. Some nights when you were too scared to go to sleep she'd sit in the plush chair and type away on her laptop. Her frame perfectly fit into it. 

"Was this your room?" You asked her. Questions of why her things were still here following afterward. Not to mention why she was always up so late.

Gloved hand feeling along the bed sheets delicately, Jane said, "A very long time ago, but only in summer."

The house loudly settled in the midst of heavy silence. Normal for older places, but Jane was on her feet in a second. "Did you hear that?"

"It's the roof, I think."

"What if someone's downstairs?" She was already quickly and quietly tip-toeing to the door.

Your heart started to hammer in your chest. What if she was right? What if it was Jeff? What if he already found you? What if, what if, what if. Noah said that way too much. Panic spread across his face, paralyzed by fear and thinking there was somebody in the closet. 

_"He_ would have kicked the door down, we'd know if he was here."

She stared at your vulnerable body, knife shaking in her fist. "The other ones are quiet. I'm getting the others."

"Wait don't-" She was already gone. You wished you had your knife as you laid there, still and terrified. 

Sully screamed from the downstairs, "YOU WOKE ME UP FOR _NOTHING!?"_

Pure relief flooded your system.

"It wasn't nothing!" Jane spat back.

_"Then what was it!?"_

Heels stomped up the stairs, followed by curdled words, "Just gonna run away, huh? Real brave of you."

You were tempted to get up on your own when Natalie growled from somewhere down the hall, "Quit it."

"No. She fucking- _ACK!"_

The ground quaked with a series of heavy impacts. You started to lift yourself up when Jane came in. 

Why hadn't she stayed downstairs, locked in a shouting match with Sully? To watch you maybe? Pissed, scared, and with a heart full of pride, she sat down at the foot of your bed. Moonlight slid down wave after wave of hair, following the rise and fall of her shoulders. 

"Are you okay?"

"Go back to sleep."

You weren't tired anymore. Temptation to comfort her crept up in your crawling fingers. Set on a path for the strands of hair long enough to lay on the sheets. 

"That's enough." Jack distantly commanded, the scuffle almost immediately stopped but the screaming didn't. 

Plenty of "fuck you"s were spewed before Jack passed your open bedroom door two minutes later. Tendril reaching out of his exposed lower back, clutching a kicking and screaming Sully. 

He stopped, leaning on the frame, "You good?" 

You'd never seen Jack in such a normal outfit. Baggy sweats and a crop top. Navy blue fabric hugged his shoulders tightly, hem ending just above his belly button. Looked like a regular t-shirt he'd stuffed himself into like a packaged sausage. Faded yellow splayed across his chest proclaimed _; This stud just got accepted into West Point College._

Natalie peeked her head through the doorway, donning a few more bruises than usual. "Hey babe, I punched that asshole for you. "

Jane sighed, "I'm fine. Just go to bed."

"I can take over." Jack offered, while lightly shaking Sully around, "Stop biting."

"I'm awake now! I can do it." Nat poked the fresh red blotch on her collar bone, "Haha, tickles."

"Stop pitying me already and go! I'm okay." Jane snapped hoarsely. Her partner began to argue but Jane kept snapping and hissing until she got the message. Shuffling off to her room after telling everyone goodnight. 

"I'll take over after I get some shut eye." Said the man who you'd never seen blink once. 

And then, there were two. The house settled. Jane rigidly unsheathed her knife. Your fingertips pawed at her hair, soft strands twirled into coils. You watched her visibly relax as you continued. Her hand relaxed as she leaned into touch. Softly sighing out the holes in her mask, like she'd been holding it in forever. You wondered what her face looked like right now. 

Enticed by the reward of physical trust, your entire hand gently caressed her back, warm velvet of her dress beneath your fingers as you felt the walls slide back up, the breath she let go quickly sucked back in. 

_Gasp._

Jane jumped to her feet. Out the door in seconds. Confused guilt flooded into your chest. Jack ducked under the doorway much to your disappointment. Down the hall one lover greeted another.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Shrug.

"Where's Sully?" 

Jack yawned into his hand, "Tied him to a chair. Hey, you mind if I sleep in here for a while?" Earlier he was a half-hour late to your evening checkup. According to Liu, he'd been out since before sunrise. He'd come back with blood under his nails and pink between his teeth. From how good a mood he'd been in, he had a feast fit for a king.

Surprisingly unconcerned you told him, "Go crazy." 

You didn't expect him to plop on the empty side of the bed. A squeak leaving your lips as you tried to adjust and scoot away from him. 

"If you're uncomfortable I can-"

"It's fine!" You reassured the man eater, settling back down despite your initial alarm, "Plenty of room." 

Far away from you as possible, Jack laid as straight and rigidly as a soldier. 

The man pulled out his phone, thin earbuds dragging behind by the cord. "YouTube, play ninetieth-century cranial nerve exam ASMR."

"What?"

"You heard me." He popped only one bud in, "If you need anything just say so. Night."

When was the last time you fell asleep to a TV? Waking up sometime between three and five in the morning with a blanket draped over your lap and pillow behind your neck. Volume cranked down low, hillbilly squads would talk about shooting guns or whatever weird thing was on that night. A glass of water on the coffee table would usually hold down a sticky note. Teasingly scolding, signed by Noah.

"Wait." You nearly brushed him with your fingers but recoiled. Didn't want him to leave too. "Can I have the other one?"

A feeble earbud rolled onto your pillow. You gingerly placed it into your ear. No wax. The man was cleanly, you'd give him that.

You relaxed into the bed. Intently listening to the woman softly describe her plight. Misogyny in the pretend past was rampant as ever. She had to conduct her medical studies in a less than legal manner. Respect.

The mattress tried to pull you down toward Jack. Beckoning you. Loud sex from the other room didn't help the awkwardness of it all. An old creaking bed and two sadomasochistic lesbians kept trying to pull you away from the ASMR roleplay and a goodnight's sleep. After all this stress and bullshit, whatever was going on over there sounded great. Trying not to think about it made dozing off so much harder. You wondered how unphased Jack was, if he was even still awake, and what he and the girls were like in bed. 

_Hey, brain, maybe stop that._

_Hey, remember when you fell between Jane's tits? Okay but, you knew what Natalie's tongue felt like in your mouth but what about your neck? Say, what did Jack's feel like, doesn't he have like four? Are they as hot as his breath?_

_Fuck's sake._

Sleep evaded you until you started slowly shifting toward a comfortable heat.

**\----**

"Nooo, get back here." Jack's dazed mumbling and the gentle weight on your waist coaxed you into consciousness. Eyelids cracking open, you were greeted with the sight of his dreamy smile. "I wanna eat yoooou." Oh.

It didn't help your poor heart that he was holding you like a hamburger. 

Early morning rays shone directly into his sockets. Unbothered, he kept on jabbering. The snappy goth would never let you snuggle into his side if he was awake. Especially not clutch his shirt and lay your head on his heater-like chest, listening intently to his deep, yet slow heartbeat. But here you were, doing just that. Was staying for five more minutes so bad? Jack was just so warm and nice to hold. 

During your sleepy deliberation, a loud yawn rose from his open maw. Sound and vibration mixed into the image of you, cuddled up on him, unseeing sockets looked down at you. 

"Ah, perfect." His pointed nails lightly pressed into your sides. "Come'ere snack."

_"I'm not a burger!"_ You squealed, jolting out of his hold, rolling to the edge of the bed.

"I said snack but hey, if I just got some buns-"

In a panic, you threw yourself back further. Jack rushed forward, catching you just before you flew off the bed. He pulled you gently back onto the mattress. "I'm joking."

"Oops." Was an afterthought to, "I've never seen you move that fast." 

"Yeah well, I don't feel like stitching you back together this early. Don't try throwing yourself off the bed again." 

"Will do." Your pointer ran along your thumb's painted nail. Black, matte, Jane two nights ago. "Sorry about uh, _that._ I woke up there and-"

"I get it, you're fine."

"Oh thank-"

"I know I'm just that hot and irresistible."

It's too early for ego trips. Self-taught sarcasm, spiced up by his influence spilled from your lips through a grin, " _Uhm_ ok _,_ am I allowed to go downstairs so I can escape your _tempting_ _allure_?"

Arms stretched over his head as he tried to hide his smile, Jack nodded, "Go slow. Let me know if you feel any aches or pains."

This was it! Finally, you'd get to explore a little bit more. After a million accompanied trips to the bathroom and light pacing around your limited space. 

Jack forced himself out of bed and was at your side in a second. "I said slow."

"This is slow!" Standing completely still actually.

"You need to be careful." He huffed.

"So I'm supposed to move," You stepped forward slower than molasses, " _liiiiiiiiikkkkeeeeee thiiiiiiissssssssss_?"

Jack smiled, "Don't be a-" He stopped himself from playfully jabbing you. "Let's get downstairs. The others probably want to see you." 

The grin was gone. Replaced with passing disinterest, you were reminded again of Jane, "Are you okay?"

He made no attempt to look at you, "I'm hungry."

**\----**

Breakfast was scarce. Liu had been looking around the past few days for secure, reliable, and possibly free sources of food. He found a warehouse twenty miles away. Getting accustomed to sneaking in and steeling was reportedly difficult. At least he had the thieving skills to get s'mores poptarts. Which Natalie graciously warmed in the toaster while calling herself a master chef.

Jack woed about his poor, poor, vegetable garden. Whining harder when he realized he couldn't have coffee for another day. He squeezed a baggie of blood into his maw before messily chomping away at the sweet.

Cringing, Liu said, "I'm trying, I really am but-"

"Just say that you're a talentless hack and can't steal to save your life." Jane practically floated into her seat at the breakfast bar. Your eyes lingered on the slip dress falling off her shoulder. Dark uneven patches of skin led your gaze up her neck. You pushed down the memory of her moans.

"Then you do it." 

"I can." Jane held out of her palm, fixing the strap with practiced ease.

Car keys clattered into her glove. "Don't crash my car."

"Don't tempt me." She nastily laughed.

The tension in the kitchen this morning was _weird._ No one acknowledged the very loud sex and you wondered if you should, just to clear the air. But Jane and Liu got onto bickering. Their voices becoming nothing but white noise once you noticed the big bay window. Sunlight spilled across the gravelly beach as gray-blue water danced along the shore. Dark oak made up the sturdy pier that led a short path into the ocean. 

Someone tugged at the back of your pajama shirt, "Wanna check it out? Jack says it's all good if we don't go in the water."

"Not for too long either. It's cold."

"What are you, (Y/n)'s mother?" Natalie snickered.

"I might as well be with how responsible all of you are." Jack grumbled between bites.

"Oh wow, thanks!"

"That was an insult."

Nat's shoulders shook, "Yeah, yeah, I geddit, you want us outta your hair already."

"That's not what I-"

Her hand planted itself firmly on your back, "Ready for a safe, slow, and very mild adventure?"

You swallowed the last of your poptart and nodded. "Sounds nice."

The two of you shuffled over the sliding glass back door after she helped you pull your shoes on. "If either of you pull a stitch I'm not fixing it." Jack droned over the snippy argument.

"We'll be fine!" You called back.

Nat yanked open the back door, "After you."

"Why thank you!"

Immediately you were struck in the face with the smell of salt and nippy cold. You pulled your bomber close to your body and waited for Nat.

"What pissed in his Cheerios?" She asked, returning to your side.

"Hard to tell. There's a lot going on right now. I think all of us are a lil _grrrrrr."_

Counting the number of breakdowns you'd had in the past week wasn't possible on one hand. A complete schedule nightmare, nothing was consistent anymore. Even the temperature, because everyone kept fucking with the thermostat. Not to mention the crippling boredom that was setting in. No amount of clicking your tongue to the tune of Nat's clock or squawking, "I'll eat your hands," helped. 

Small rocks clinked under your sneakers. As the ocean grew closer they broke down into smaller bits of yellow and gray.

"Yeah, gotta grin n' bear it till we're situated again. But for now," one sneaker flew off followed by another, "let's have a break from all that."

Coarse sand pressed between your toes while shoes swayed from your fingertips, off as soon as you'd put them on. Natalie teased you to come a little faster, but you were enjoying yourself. Her smile made you feel warm despite the wind chill.

You settled yourselves down adjacent to the pier. Tiny bits of sand pressed softly into your backside and were definitely going to stick when you got up. White foam fizzed with the rolling tide by your feet. Cloudless blue-gray went on as far as the eye could see. 

You gently stuffed a twig into the ground. Natalie was busy slapping on heaps of wet sand onto the gooey structure. "Trust me, this is gonna look sick when we're done."

"Sure but," you placed another, "why am I doing this?"

She gasped, "You can't just leave a castle undefended!"

"Ohhhhh, it's a wall." Of four whole sticks. This was going to take awhile, wasn't it?

Wall building was repetitive. Nat kept things fresh by having you both switch duties every two minutes on the dot. The castle wasn't extremely uniform with your two clashing visions, but it was a semi-stable structure. She poked in windows and you tied seaweed to sticks for flags. Together you dug out a moat, painstakingly filling it with water by hand. By the time it was finished your hands were numb. Finishing touches were broken seashells and pebbles pressed into the walls with shaking fingers. 

You knees were knocking by it's completion. Stepping back with her, you fully admired the two foot tall beast. "What do you think we should call it?"

"Hmmm," she tapped her chin, "(Y/)-atalie manor? No. Nat-(/n) palace? No."

"Maybe something like fort Chessie?" 

"Fort whatnow?"

"Chessie is a sea monster that lives in the Chesapeake Bay! But I'm not really sure if we're on the bay or near it. We're on her turf, probably!" 

"Could be the moat's name?" 

You perked up and grabbed her by the shoulders, "You're a genius."

Natalie leaned into your touch, "Oh yea, and what else am I?" Sandy thumbs pulled you closer by your belt loops. She flicked her tongue across her lips, smirking at your lingering stare. "Do you want something, gayass?"

Heat rose to your cheeks. You couldn't think straight! 

"I wanna like-" How does one put into words that hearing their sort-of girlfriend moan is hot and cool but without bringing up the whole, hearing Jane thing? Do you just pretend you had selective hearing? "Kiss." Okay, that works. 

"I can do that." But she didn't. Instead, a finger pressed into your nose, "Boop."

"Wha-"

"Gotta wait." Her head jolted toward the, "Window."

Liu and Jane were having a heated debate full of hand gestures. Your other buddy had made his escape. 

"Right." Your shoulders slacked.

Squeeze, squeeze. Electric shocks traveled up your skin. You followed her retreating hands desperate for more. Nat chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you later."

Was it hot out here or were you just about to explode? 

Quick think of something smart and hot to say! "Cool. Can't wait." Perfect.

"As I was saying before I was so _cutely,_ interrupted. I think the name should fit with all of us. Something badass, classic, fruity."

You blinked, "Fort gay people?" Little too on the nose. 

"Fort tops? No wait-"

"Fort irreversible trauma?"

"Fort knife superiority?"

"Fort hot bitches?"

The both of you snapped. "Perfect!"

You admired the castle a second longer before rushing inside, cold damp, and covered in sand. Nat tailed you all the way back to your room. One eye covered while you changed out of your dirty pants.

"You don't have to look away, not like I'm naked or anything." You mumbled, throwing a sweater dress over your head.

"Didn't know if you'd be uncomfortable." Nat lowly whistled, "But I sure am glad you're not."

Exciting as that was, you were struggling to find the head hole. "I don't know how this attractive for you but hey, you do you."

She snickered, pulling the fabric hole open and peeking her head in, "Hole's over here." 

"Thank you!" You clawed up, her face as a guide. The second your head popped through the hole, she pressed a rewarding peck onto your lips.

"No, thank you." 

_Click._

"What was that?" You drifted out of her arms and over to the bed. As nice as it was to be out, you were cold as a witch's tit.

"Just the lock, don't want bible boy walking in on us cuddling n' shit." 

You waited expectantly for her warmth, holding the blanket up for her to slip under. And boy, did she deliver! Under the thick bed sheets, your body heats heavenly combined. But that did not mean that at heart, you weren't the littlest of bastards. 

"Hey Nat, check it." You zipped your ice cold hand under her shirt. 

Muscles tensed under your touch before she let out a, "WOOP!"

"Woop!" You mimicked with a grin. Spurred on by her laughter you traveled further up her shirt.

"You're so cold!" Nat giggled and wiggled. Clutching at your wrist but not pulling you away or scooting away.

**NSFW Begins.**

Hands traveled further. Pause. Your fingers were dangerously high on the incline of her breast. Everything considered, nice. But also, "Oh, sorry."

"I don't mind." The heat between you grew as she got closer, one of her legs wrapping around yours. "Do you?" Something about that smirk she wore said she knew what you were thinking. She just wanted to hear you say it. 

"I don't. This is pretty nice." 

You could feel her chest rattle under you with her snicker. "You're cute." Green flicked down to your lips. 

The kiss was mutual, lightly pressured, but not enough. Slow, steady, peck after peck, your need grew. Your palm inched up her breast. Her tongue slid across your bottom lip. You let her in. Tongue tips lightly touching as a greeting before quickly falling into an all encompassing grind. 

Cold metal graced your touch when you found her nipple. Natalie softly groaned, twitching into you. Curious, you circled your thumb over the sensitive mound. Sharp, delightful pain yanked your head back by the roots of your hair. In your gasp, Natalie pulled out of the kiss just to come right back in, teasingly nipping your lip. Leg starting slide over yours in a slow, sensual straddle. 

Stress, fear, and anguish momentarily fell away in your bliss. It'd been way too long since you got to do something like this. 

"Is this okay?"

You excitedly nodded, "Very. Is this?"

"Very." She snickered.

Soon enough she was sitting on your hips. Shirt halfway lifted under both your forearms as you played with her piercings to the sound of her muffled moans. Your dress was starting to ride up your legs with every needy grind of her clothed crotch into your thighs. Things were moving quickly and your long overdue to be ravaged self, was completely okay with that.

You both pulled away with buzzing lips. "Hey can I-"

"Suck on my tits? Absolutely." The green jacket was already thrown on the floor.

Shock didn't cross your mind. Only intense attraction and admiration. From her curved breasts to soft muscles to happy trail, your eyes couldn't get enough of traveling her body. The only thing better than that was watching her lean in close till titties were in your face. _Nice._

She kept your head tilted back by your hair. Grinding hard into you in anticipation. 

You lapped your tongue along her breast. Tasted like skin. You'd be concerned if it didn't. Kiss, kiss, kissing her nipple, you got a feel for just how sensitive she was. Already moaning, rhythmically pumping her hips into your thighs. Wet heat between your legs doubled in intensity when you took her into your mouth. Cold metal warming on your tongue as you sucked, nipped, and lapped away. 

"Good girl." Natalie lowly praised, tugging your head back. She didn't need to tell you to get to work the other side of her chest. Happily squirming under her lusty gaze and a bit lip. Every suppressed groan and roll of her hips drove you crazier and crazier. 

The butch fidgeted with the hem of your dress, "Can I touch you?" 

"Please." You gladly helped lift the thick fabric up. Calloused digits ran up your stomach and beneath your (bra/undershirt). Covering ripped away, you were exposed to her admiring gaze. 

"You're so pretty." 

"Aww." Sappily soft, you nearly teared up. "You're pretty too."

Tantalizing smirk hovering above your breast, she purred, "I can't wait to ruin you." Lips teasingly pecked anywhere they could. Brow quirking up when you whined so easily for her. Mischief sparkled in her eye before wet, hot pleasure rolled across your sensitive skin. Gasping, you melted into her lapping tongue. Hips rolling up to meet hers as the muscle worked around your attentive nipple. Welcomed pain jolted from between her lightly nipping teeth. Upon your squeak, Natalie snickered, "You like that, huh?"

_"Yes."_

"Cute." Breath ghosted over your chest as she shifted to your other breast. Green eye boring in (e/c), keeping you in place while she sucked whine after whine out of you. 

Lips found their way to your neck by kissing up your chest. Like warm butter, you moved exactly how Nat wanted without even saying so. Goosebumps rasing wetness lapped along the side of your neck. Testing tender flesh with a series of soft sucks until she found a place to sink her teeth into. Sharp shocking pain had you harshly clasp at her waist. 

"Wait," you gasped, "not too hard, Liu might see."

Natalie sighed and propped herself up. "Neck's a no go then. What about," she squeezed, "your thighs?" 

Her head between them was all you wanted. "I wouldn't mind."

"Oh?" Her palms slid to your inner thighs. "Do you want something (Y/n)?"

You parted your legs and bashfully looked away. "Touch me."

"Of course baby, but first," her thumb and forefinger tilted your head, "look at me."

"Okay." Gotta love a woman in charge. She was somehow able to make eye contact feel comfortable, natural, and incredibly rewarding. Dare you say, pretty poggers. 

Watching her digits dip between your legs had you excitedly twitching. "Fuck, you're so wet and I haven't even touched you yet." Teasing praise only made you wetter.

"Then why don't you?" 

Natalie let out a surprised chortle, mirroring your words softly, "Why don't I?" 

Gentle and far too quick, she brushed a finger over your clothed clit. Reveling in your twitch and gasp. Again, longer, harder. Eye fucking you while toying with your wet heat. Every little reaction spurred her to give you more until her pointer and middle were making laps around your clit. 

"Je veux te baiser." She lowly purred, drinking in every squeak she could get out of you.

You had no idea what she just said but it sounded hot! "Please?"

Putty in her hands, you grinded along. Self suppressing moans much to her amusement. "Aww, you're so cute when you're trying not to act like a- Hey, can I call you names? Like, respectfully?" 

"Sure." You breathlessly giggled, thankful for her bluntness. "Go crazy."

"Sick! Anyway, it's adorable that you act so innocent but you're a needy slut aren't you?"

Pure masochistic pleasure ripped through your body. "Yes!" You gasped, hips mindlessly jolting into her hand as hard as they could until- "Yowch!" Stretching discomfort from your stomach pulled you out of the moment, hands on her quickly shooting to your wound as a dizzying wave of pain hit you.

"Holy shit, you okay?" 

You settled back into the mattress, "Yeah, just pulled my stitches I think?"

She frowned and sighed, "You're pale, we probably shouldn't do something then."

"What?" You whined, wound still pulsating between your fingers, but so was your pussy.

Nat swung her legs off the bed, "(Y/n), I know myself and I will literally _destroy_ you in bed."

You moved your hands from your stitches to pull your dress down sadly, "That sounds nice." 

"But I don't want to hurt you. At least not in a bad way. I know it sucks but we should probably wait till you're better." The floor creaked under her feet as she bound over to the dresser.

Words could not describe how horny you were and how much you wanted her. There had to be some way for you to not move much and do something. Eureka! "What if you sit on my face?"

Nat paused, hissing in a sigh, "Oooh I want to so bad but," a pair of panties were chucked to your chest, "I'd get too into it and forget. You'll live but good to know that you're into that."

"Ugh, don't tease me." You switched out your undies before relaxing fully into the bed.

**NSFW ends.**

You made grabby hands at her after getting comfortable, "Can we still cuddle?" 

"Oh fuck yea, dude." Natalie was immediately back in bed, arms wrapped around you like a koala. 

"Dude?" Couldn't believe she was so casual and chill after all that.

"Dude." She echoed, snuggling her face into the back of your neck.

Loving warmth set into your bones. This place was new and scary but at least you had her, had all of them. Adjusting hadn't taken as long as you'd thought. Maybe Liu's relationships with the others could turn around just as quickly. But for now, you'd settle for some rest.


End file.
